Silent Eyes
by TamChronin
Summary: An evil force threatens Sakura, seeking the secret behind her cards. Eriol and Syaoran have returned to help her, but they're in over their heads. Terrible things happen. Will it tear them apart or bring them closer?
1. More Questions Than Answers

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction. I do not own any of the characters contained herein.

Warning: This story is aimed for mature audiences and contains adult themes including torture, attempted rape, suicidal thoughts, and yaoi. I have not included any "lemon" in this, so if you're looking for gratuitous or explicit sex you have come to the wrong fic. The story is dark, and I'm not guaranteeing a happily ever after...you'll have to judge that for yourself when you get there.

Author's Note: Thank you for your interest in my story. It's finished now, but I am always looking for comments, so feel please leave a review. It means the world to me if someone lets me know I'm as evil as I think I am. Of course, if you think I need some serious lessons in evil and have a lot of room for improvement, let me know how! I'm always looking for reader torture techniques...as long as it keeps 'em coming for more.

On with the story....

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Silent Eyes

**__**

More Questions Than Answers

He approached cloaked in silence. He glided on the gentle midnight breeze along the path of a glowing moonbeam. The barest whisper of sound was all that escaped as he withdrew his wings and allowed the magic to take them away again. His feet didn't even touch the ground as he floated up to the young woman standing under a huge cherry tree. Her eyes glinted in the light of the waning moon as she scanned the world around her for signs of the moon guardian that had just slipped behind her.

Sakura bit her lower lip and began to turn slowly. No sooner had she began to turn than she let out a yelp of surprise. "Yue, why do you always sneak up on me like that?"

His lips twisted to the side for a moment, revealing his frustration with the question. "I don't mean to sneak up on you, Mistress." _Maybe if you'd pay more attention to the magical currents around you, we would stop this nonsense._ He didn't say it out loud though. He wasn't her teacher, just her guardian. This time though, something within him couldn't be contained and he let some of the bitterness out. "Clow Reed was never surprised by my approach, so I suppose it became habit."

There was a flash of hurt in her eyes...she hated it when he compared her to Clow. He knew it made her squirm, but he was irritated at her thoughtlessness. She ducked her head and at least had the grace to apologize...and then he wondered if she even knew what she was apologizing for. It was an automatic response from her every time he showed a hint of irritation. _She may be powerful, but she'll never measure up to Clow._

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura felt the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes as she bowed her head. After all these years she still felt like a child when she faced Yue. His eyes still reflected a judgment he had made the first time they met...she didn't measure up. She wondered if she ever would, or if she'd be in the shadow of greatness for eternity. It didn't matter how many times Kero-chan assured her that she was more powerful than Clow, or how many times Yukito-san told her not to worry about Yue. She couldn't stand that the one person who would never approve of her was almost forced into her service.

This was an old train of thoughts though, and she shook her head to clear her mind and get back on track. "We don't have time for this. I needed to let you know that you should be prepared. There is something coming up...a change in the wind that doesn't feel right. Something big is going to happen and I might need you."

Yue looked skeptical for a moment, then looked up at the waning moon and nodded. "I remember when I would have sensed it first, but you are right. Don't worry Sakura-sama, I know my job. I'll be ready."

She gave him a sunny smile, but it wasn't nearly as bright as the smiles she used to be able to muster for him. He was too perfect for her, and it was wearing on her to be reminded of it after so many years. "Please, Yue, please. Be my friend, not my servant. Call me Sakura-chan, Sakura-san, or just Sakura. Please." The words were just above a whisper, but it didn't matter if Yue heard her or not. She had said the words so many times that one more time wouldn't make a difference...it was almost a ritual by now. A ritual that left her feeling cold and empty.

"..."

"I'll see you later, Yue. I need to get to sleep." She nearly ran away, too tired of trying to do anything else.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue stared after Sakura's retreating form. Part of him wanted to go after her and comfort her and tell her things weren't so bad, but another part held back, eternally afraid of letting her too close. He felt whispers of his other self trying to intrude on his contemplation, but he wasn't in the mood to let the prattling of his innocent and optimistic other half sway his actions--or inactions. He shoved all thought aside and flew away, using his usual coping mechanism.

The smell of spring rushed past him...earthy and sweet with a moist heaviness that winter could never contain. Still, the air was bracing as he flew higher and higher, and the chill erased the promise of a new season. His thoughts had also been heavy, but soaring through the night skies cleared his mind and cooled his emotions. He found himself flying toward his home and felt a soothing warmth comfort him at the thought. Touya would be there, waiting for Yukito to return and wrap him in loving arms. That's when Yue realized why he was so irritable with Sakura. It wasn't that she was being inconsiderate, she had been worried about something more important. It was her brother's dismissal of him that had made Yue so frustrated.

With a sigh he withdrew his energy and let himself fade into the background. Yukito was there to take over, blinking a little to find himself outside, but used to it by now. Yukito sighed a little, then smiled and opened the door. "I'm home!" His voice sang out cheerily, ringing out through the house he used to think of as his grandparent's. Now he realized it was all his--his and Touya's.

"Welcome home Yuki." Touya smiled and Yukito felt warm, safe, and happier than ever. "So, what happened?"

Yukito laughed a little, smiling gently. "You know I don't have any idea. I never do."

"Aaah, one of those things. I'll ask Sakura later." Touya smiled back and wrapped Yukito up in a soothing hug. They smiled at each other and Yukito placed his head on the taller man's shoulder. They stood that way for a while, oblivious to the suffering of the third person there.

__

He doesn't even think about asking me, Yue thought with a pang. _It's like I'm the one that's less than real. He loves his Yuki with all his heart, and I may as well not even exist. Gods above, I miss Clow so much!_

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura felt tears slip down her face despite her best efforts to hold them it. She could _feel_ Yue's pain as if it were her own, but she didn't know how to make it go away. She couldn't even figure out why he hurt so bad inside. He wouldn't talk to her about it, he was just there to do his duty, no matter how hard she pressed him to open up and be her friend. There had been a time she was sure he truly cared for her, but as time went on his eyes grew more sad and lonely.

She tried hard to figure out what she had done wrong, but the nagging feeling of foreboding wouldn't let her think. Or, maybe she hadn't done something wrong really. Maybe there was something else that weighed so heavily on Yue's mind that he snapped at everyone more and more as time went on.

She shook her head and chided herself aloud. "No, that couldn't be it. What did I do wrong?"

Of course there was no answer. Even if someone had heard her it was obvious that she was talking to herself. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. She slowly walked down the hall, and as she passed the phone it rang.

"Kinomoto residence."

"Sakura? It's me, Eriol. I'll be there in two days."

"Really? I've missed you, but why? Why are you coming?"

There was a slight hesitation on the other end of the line before he answered her. "Haven't you noticed?"

"Something big is going to happen soon."

"Yes. I thought you could use all the help you can get."

"That's very kind of you Eriol, and I hope I won't need your help."

"Me too. Two days."

"Two days."

"I'll see you then."

"Okay, bye."

The phone went dead. She replaced in on the cradle and almost turned away, but she waited a moment more. The phone rang again, and she knew who it would be.

"Syaoran?"

She could almost hear him blushing over the long miles. "Sakura. Are you okay?"

"Nothing has happened yet. You felt it too?"

"Yes. Something bad is approaching. Who else has felt it?"

"Eriol called to say he'd be here in two days. Kero and Yue didn't feel anything on their own, but when I mentioned it to each of them they confirmed it. Dad is away on a dig, but he'll probably be the next to call. I'm sure he'll be home soon too. Will you be able to make it here?"

"I hope so Sakura. It might be two days before I can get there too. Be careful until then."

"Thank you. I will. I...I look forward to seeing you again."

"Me too. I'll see you as soon as I can."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

They both hung up slowly, reluctantly, saying the words only once the line was disconnected.

"I love you, Sakura."

"I love you, Syaoran."

As the phone rang again Sakura picked it up and smiled. "Hello Dad!"

"How did you know it would be me?"

"Just a feeling--and the fact that Eriol and Syaoran called right before you did."

"I was afraid of that. So, something bad _is_ going to happen then?"

"Nobody knows for sure, but we all have a feeling that it will."

"Have you told your brother yet? He'll want to keep a close eye on you."

"Not yet."

"I'll call him as soon as I hang up with you. How is everything else going?"

"Everything is perfect. Aside from everybody suddenly thinking something bad will happen soon everything has been wonderful."

"I'll be home in two days."

"I know, that's when everybody will be here."

"Be careful."

"I always am."

"I'm serious Sakura."

"I know. I'll be careful."

"Thank you. Good night."

"Good night Dad. Bye."

The phone went dead for the final time and Sakura ran upstairs to talk to Kero.

~~~~~@~~~~~

The phone rang several times at Touya and Yukito's house before Touya finally answered. Yukito laid back and listened to the deep tone of his lover's voice from the other room. He couldn't make out who it was, but from the tone it was someone close. Either his dad or his sister. Yuki hoped it was Sakura so that he would find out what had happened earlier that night. It drove him crazy that there were things he didn't know about that essentially happened to him. He always found out about things from Touya after a few hours, or sometimes days. That is, if he found out at all.

__

I just don't want to worry you, Yuki. You deserve to be happier than me.

It sounded like his own internal voice, but there was no question who it really was. _Speaking to me again? How long has it been, Yue?_

...

Don't you think I worry more not knowing than I would if I knew? Yukito smiled as he projected his thoughts a little, wondering what it must be like from the other's point of view.

__

I have a hard time talking to you. There are things I just find hard talking to you about. It's easier to let you hear about it somewhere else. If we survived, then there's nothing for you to worry about.

Good point. Yukito chuckled, letting his eyes slip closed. He could tell that Touya's conversation was coming to a close and that meant more silence from Yue. _So what shouldn't I be worried about now this time?_

I don't know.

So we'll be worrying together for a change? Good.

Yuki, we worry together a lot more than you realize.

"Yuki? That was Dad." Touya wandered in and when Yukito opened his eyes he noticed Touya getting dressed.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Touya's words echoed Yue's perfectly and a chill ran down Yuki's spine. "Dad wants me to keep a closer eye on Sakura over the next two days until he gets home. I guess Sakura's old friends will be here too then."

"I'll go with you," Yuki said, rising to grab his own clothes.

Touya was already dressed. "Wait." Yuki paused in confusion. "I'm sorry, I hate to do this to you Yuki, but I need--"

Yuki cut him off with an understanding nod. He placed a kiss on Touya's surprised lips and then stood. "I know." The magic then took ahold of him and he felt himself gently slip into oblivion.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue found himself revealed for the second time that night, this time summoned by Touya. He wanted to glare and demand an explanation for the rude interruption, but something about being in Touya's presence calmed Yue and kept the bitterness off his face. Instead a sad and lonely look touched his features with a hint of humanity that had been fading over the years. "There's not a lot I can tell you, Touya. I'm sorry."

Touya ran his hands through his hair. "All Dad would say is that everyone with magic still is suddenly worried, but it seems that from all points of the globe the soonest anyone can arrive is two days. I just thought you would know more. Yuki can't use your magic, and I--" He let the sentence hang; both of them were quite aware of what happened to Touya's magic.

"All I know is that there is a general sense of foreboding and danger. It seems to be soon, but I can't tell how soon. Everyone will either gather just in time, or just a touch too late, but with such a concerted effort by the strongest mages of this era I hope it will be just in time. I am staying closer to the surface than usual to be ready if Sakura needs me. Now you know as much as I do." Yue frowned, searching for some unknown expression on Touya's face. When he failed to notice it he nodded and prepared to transform back.

"Wait."

"What?" Yue sounded almost eager to hold off returning to his true form.

"You speak to Yukito sometimes. He told me that a long time ago."

Yue managed to bring the glare to touch upon his face this time. "It would have had to have been long ago. I don't do it often."

"You could have told Yuki what you told me. Had him relay the message. You would have used up less magic that way. So it seems a shame to have you transform back so suddenly."

Was Touya being nice? Genuinely friendly? Yue bit his bottom lip and stared at the floor for a while. "Thank you. I don't like to keep you away from Yuki unnecessarily, but if you don't mind--" _Why am I being so meek, so shy? Why is it so hard for me to sit here with him?_ Before his mind could catch up though, his mouth formed the words that were at the root of his insecurity around Touya. "Do you ever regret it?"

Touya didn't play any games. He knew that there was only one _it_ that the moon guardian would dwell on so much and put so much import in. And--he sounded exactly like Yukito had when he asked the same question so long ago. "Never. I miss it. I miss the extra energy I had back then, and I miss knowing immediately if something was wrong. I miss the awareness I had. I miss seeing my mother. But every day since then has been worth it. Without you, without Yuki, having magic would not have been worth it. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."

"I see." It was about Yukito. Of course it was. Why shouldn't it be? The two loved each other so much. Yue was merely the invisible observer that could be conveniently forgotten.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes. Do you regret it?"

"What about it could I regret? That's like asking if I regret existing."

"There's so much pain written on your face. It makes me wonder. Do you?"

Yue's voice was hushed, husky with overwhelming emotion when he answered. "I would regret more taking Yukito away from you, To-ya."

Touya clearly tried to say something, but Yue didn't let himself hear it. He gathered the energy to himself like a warm blanket and withdrew from the world before he could do more damage. It slipped over him, surrounded him, and brought Yukito back from--wherever he went at those times.

__

Yuki, where do you go when you aren't here?

He felt their body shudder in reaction before Yukito answered his inner voice. _I go nowhere. I don't exist. Everything just stops, and then it starts again when you let me return._

I'm so sorry Yuki. If I had a choice I'd never do that to you again.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura wasn't at all surprised when Touya and Yukito showed up. "Two days, right guys?"

Yukito smiled down at her, but she saw that his eyes were a little bloodshot and puffy. When he answered her, his voice was huskier than usual. "That's right. I understand that you'll have a house full of guests after that, so we'll go back home then."

"Yukito-san...have you been crying?"

Yukito and Touya exchanged looks before Yuki lowered his eyes and turned away. "Gomen nasai, Sakura-chan." He walked away, heading toward the kitchen while Touya grabbed Sakura's shoulder to restrain her from following.

"Onii-chan! What's wrong with Yukito-san? If you did this to him I--" The expression on her brother's face stopped her. "Onii-chan?"

"It was Yue."

"Yue was crying? I didn't even know he **could**--"

"No. Yue made Yuki cry, and he won't tell me why."


	2. Passing Days

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Passing Days

Touya rolled over, cuddling closer to the slim form beside him. It was his favorite way of waking up, and it was Yukito's favorite way of being woken up. Eyes still closed, the two clasped each other closely, Yukito's head pressed against Touya's warm chest while Touya rested his chin protectively on Yukito's head. Yukito smiled, serenaded by the sound of his lover's heart as it began to quicken. "To-ya, thank you."

Touya's eyes threatened to open. This wasn't part of the morning ritual they shared. Speaking wasn't part of it for another five minutes at least. "Hmmm?"

"You've made my life real. Thank you."

"Hush, there's no need for anything like that. I'm not awake enough for that yet." Touya held Yuki closer, tighter, for a brief moment and then soothed him by stroking his back gently. Then last night hit him all over again. "Wait, now I'm awake enough." His eyes opened and he pulled himself away just enough to look into the solemn amber eyes waiting him. "Yuki, you haven't been like this for years. What happened last night?"

"I don't know how to explain it. After you and Yue were done talking, when I came back, he asked me for the first time what happens to me. I had never thought about it before, but it's like I just cease to exist. Then it all came rushing back that _I_ am not the real one here. My entire existence is to be a mask for some magic creature that I don't even know. And then I could feel Yue's loneliness and guilt and it--" He stopped, fighting back the tears again. "There just aren't words for how I feel. To-ya, you are all that's real in my life, and the only thing that keeps me who I am. It's so easy to forget most of the time, but when that blackness comes crashing down upon me again I go so cold. I'm just not real."

Touya lost himself in Yuki's shimmering eyes, knowing that there was nothing he could say that he hadn't said before. Then he wondered if saying those things all over again might just be the comfort his love needed. "I love you. Sakura loves you. You have a job, we have a home, and you have an entire life to live that does not include being some mask for a total stranger. Nothing else matters. You are here, right now, and in the grand scheme of things that's all that counts. Here. Now. Either that or nothing. Ever."

"I don't know. To-ya, I just don't know."

"I don't know either Yuki. I wish I could kiss you and just take away your pain, but...."

"Why don't you?"

"Good question."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue pulled his awareness sharply back. _Mask of a total stranger?_ He wasn't sure what hurt more, being called a total stranger, or listening to sweet Yukito suffer at the thought of being a mere mask. He finally decided that both were equally painful, and both equally his own fault. Yet, he didn't see a way out of the corner he had painted himself into.

The morning went on, the two men made love while Yue tried not to think about it. He always felt awkward at that point, but he wouldn't dream of doing a thing to stop them. Then they smelled food cooking and were met by a happy Sakura who had managed to cook the kind of breakfast Fujitaka would make. It was beautiful and delicious, and she knew to make huge portions. She smiled with a faint blush when Yukito complimented her cooking, but she positively glowed when Touya showed how impressed he was. Yue vicariously enjoyed the meal and the love the Kinomoto family showered upon Yuki, something he would never admit to any of them. It was just easier to enjoy feeling Yukito enjoy these things.

The day slipped in to routine. Touya had work, but Yukito had the day free, so he went home and cleaned while Sakura was at school. Yue didn't let himself drift off as he usually did during the boring day to day routine. He had to keep his mind focused in case Sakura needed him. Staying aware like that was a bit disconcerting though. He felt even more like an intruder into Yukito's life. He almost always felt like an intruder these days though.

Yukito suddenly paused in the middle of cleaning up after his lunch. "Are you there?"

__

I'm here. I'm always here. The sigh that accompanied the statement went through them both. _What do you need?_

I don't need anything, but I was hoping for company.

You never have before.

Do you really mind so much if we talk? I don't want you to...I don't want to make you uncomfortable.

No, Yuki, I don't want to intrude more than I already do.

I felt your pain about being a stranger...as intense as my pain was about being a mask. I thought that since there's nothing I can do about one, I could do something about the other. Do we have to be strangers?

Yue thought for a while, silent to Yukito. Yuki shrugged and went back to doing dishes. Finally Yue pressed his own thoughts in on Yukito's again. _I don't want us to be strangers, but I'm not one to open up easily. Especially to you._

Yue felt ashamed of the wash of pain that went through Yukito from that statement. _Especially me? Why?_

I have many reasons. It all comes down to one thing though, I want to protect you.

Protect me from you?

Yes.

Yuki splashed the dish water out of frustration. _I'm not a child, you can't protect me from everything all the time! There are things I don't want to be protected from! Do you hear me? Yue?_

Yue maintained his silence no matter what Yukito thought at him. He hated himself for it, but it was an emotion he was used to. The rest of the day was slightly more interesting than usual as he heard Yukito use vocabulary he wasn't aware he would ever use. Eventually Yue projected a feeling of amusement, forcing both of them to laugh. _Enough! You haven't been angry for hours, you've just been trying to get me to talk. I don't think either of us could take much more of this. Gods, but you're stubborn!_

I wonder where I picked that trait up, Yukito asked innocently. His smile had finally brightened his face though, and all would be well.

__

If it's any consolation, Yuki, you know me better than you think. Better than anyone else. He was scared that it was a dangerous admission to make, but he couldn't hold it in any more.

__

I had a feeling.

I know.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura and Tomoyo nearly ran to Sakura's house. "They'll all be back tomorrow? Wow! And I'll be able to make you another outfit for you to wear! I have just the design--"

Sakura laughed. "Is that all you think about? You do know that it's because we all have a *bad* feeling, not a 'let's make Sakura dress up' feeling?"

"Do I have to get Kero-chan on my side again? It's all in how you present yourself. When you look magical on the outside, you feel magical on the inside, and that makes it easier to win! Syaoran and Eriol are sure to wear their customary outfits because it helps them to focus, and I would love it if you would do the same."

"And because it makes you feel useful?" As soon as Sakura made the connection the words came out of her mouth without further thought.

Tomoyo gave her best friend a sad smile. "I think so, yes. I never thought about it like that, but filming you and making your outfits made me feel a little magical too."

"All I ever wanted was for you to stay my best friend. You know that, don't you?"

"I know. But I have all these wonderful memories stored where I can see them again and again, and you were so adorable! It was so wonderful to be there the whole time, helping and watching, and making sure you were as cute as you could be. Just by itself, for no other reason, it was so fun!"

Sakura fought off her usual extreme reaction to her best friend's enthusiasm. Instead she just gave her a tight hug and started running home again. "Come on, I want to make a special supper for everyone! It will take a lot of time though, so we have to hurry."

"Okay! I'll be right behind you!" As soon as Tomoyo caught up Sakura grabbed her hand, pulling the other girl to go faster. As soon as they reached the front door they collapsed, panting and giggling, to change their shoes.

~~~~~@~~~~~

The rest of the day passed. Tomoyo was invited to spend the night, and her and Sakura stayed up later than they should have giggling and talking about the guys they knew and speculating about the guys they used to know. The next day was even more routine, with everyone at work or school to pass the time. The first one to arrive was Syaoran, who met Sakura at school that day. When they reunited they fell into each other's arms, holding each other as close as they could while their hearts twined together and their souls spoke of how much they loved each other despite the distance. They barely heard Tomoyo as she made her excuses to run home and give them some time alone.

"I am so glad you're here. I can't begin to tell you how much I missed you Syaoran."

"Silly. You should have known we'd meet again. I could feel it, couldn't you?"

She glared a little, pouted a little, and then smiled sweetly. "Part of me knew, but part of me was terrified of being wrong. And knowing I'll hold you some day is not nearly as fulfilling as actually having you in my arms finally."

"Absence has made the heart grow fonder," he teased slightly, a small smile resting lightly on his lips.

"I don't want to get any fonder of you Li Syaoran. I don't think it's possible. Besides, missing you hurt."

"I know. I was terrified you'd fall in love with someone else and the letters would just stop. I was terrified that if I said I love you over the phone that you'd feel compelled to confess your love of a handsome stranger that I couldn't compete with. I was terrified that I'd lose you, somehow, and that thought kept me awake at night in so much agony."

"No one could compete with you, ever," she assured innocently.

"I'm glad you think so...Mei Lin wasn't so kind."

"Sour grapes."

"You really think so?"

"I'm sure of it."

"So that's why I love you so much."

Sakura smiled her biggest smile. "I love you too."

~~~~~@~~~~~

end note: This one was shorter than I expected, but the next chapter is where they are all together again. I'm writing like a woman possessed here, it's driving me faster than I thought possible and pushing other fics out of the way. Sorry! I hope you enjoy this though!


	3. Long Awaited Reunions

A/N: Wai! Reviews! Thank you!!! Lor, you are awesome! I couldn't ask for a better friend. Articuno, thank you from the bottom of my heart--I've never gotten feedback on a story so quickly! Sakuralight, thank you also! Yes, you can call me Tam-san, but after three reviews you can call me Tam-chan if you'd like. ~grins~ (Okay, you asked me about that on a review for "Liquid Reflections", but I don't know when I'll be able to update that one.) I've been writing like I've never written before. This story is driving me to a point that I don't even know yet, but it's like it's writing itself, and quickly. If you're waiting for the action and adventure part, don't worry. It will hit soon. Please though, I would still love more reviews! It means the world to me, otherwise I'd just sit and imagine it all without exposing it to anyone's scrutiny. Right?

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Silent Eyes

**__**

Long Awaited Reunions

Fujitaka and Eriol were talking quietly in the living room when Yukito arrived. He felt like an intruder for just walking in without knocking and without Touya, but Fujitaka had long since assured him that this was his home as well. As soon as Yukito walked in the two reincarnations of Clow looked up and smiled. Yukito responded with a smile of his own. "Am I intruding?" For some reason his chest constricted and a shiver ran up and down his spine being in the presence of them both at the same time.

Eriol shook his head and gestured for Yukito to join them. "We were just comparing notes, life experiences, that sort of thing. We've never had a chance to sit and talk before."

"Please, sit down Yukito. Touya is just taking a shower, so he'll be in here soon. I wanted to thank you for keeping an eye on Sakura and staying here the last two nights. I know it's always more comfortable to stay in your own home, so I appreciate you doing this."

"It was no trouble at all! I'm glad I could help." Yukito smiled a little too big, but there was something about this situation that scared him slightly for no reason he could understand. "Are you sure I'm not interrupting? I could go make tea or something...."

The other two exchanged a look, realizing that it was unusual for Yukito to act like this. "Sit down Yukito-kun. This is still my house even if you're part of the family. And--neither of us want you to be uncomfortable, but Eriol-kun and Syaoran-kun are invited to stay here until things are sorted out and safe again."

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me."

There was that exchanged look again, and this time Eriol answered. "It's an unusual and difficult situation for your other self. He still has many unresolved emotions that need to be dealt with. It will happen with time, but until then I'd like you to sit with us and talk."

Yukito forced a smile and sat down on the couch, and then suddenly felt fine. There was nothing wrong in the world, and why would it be unusual or uncomfortable for Sakura's old friend to spend time talking with Kinomoto-sensei? He noted in passing that Eriol had grown taller, grown into himself, and looked strangely more familiar than he already had. His voice had deepened, but he looked just as cheerful as he used to. He noticed that Fujitaka and Eriol have very similar smiles and felt a warmth toward the boy for that comforting trait.

__

I'm sorry, Yue whispered softly into Yukito's mind, and then Yuki felt him withdraw completely.

__

Wait! Sorry for what? He waited for a reply, but there was nothing._ Damnit_.

Fujitaka was talking. "It was very confusing at first. Scents, sounds, certain other things that used to evoke one set of memories suddenly evoked new memories. Most of the memories didn't make sense either, but I wouldn't have time to explore it all. It took a very long time to finish dealing with it. There are still things that bring new memories to mind, but now I know what it means and I have some sort of context for the images. I feel more whole now though. It was an overload at first, but now I feel somehow complete."

"It was totally different for me though," Eriol said in reply. "I was hit with everything suddenly when I created Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon. I suddenly didn't feel like myself at all, and for years I had a hard time separating myself from the memories. I almost suffocated in the magic and there was this small part of me in the background that just whispered, 'I want to grow up first, I want to be normal.' I never felt that emptiness, I felt too full."

"How does it feel now?"

"Peaceful, usually. It just somehow feels right though. And it's not nearly as scary."

Fujitaka and Eriol nodded, knowingly, but Yukito was confused. "Scary?"

Fujitaka turned a small, somewhat weary smile on Yukito before answering. "There were many things about having that much power that that scared--me. Us." He shrugged helplessly and then went on. "First is the sheer responsibility. Then the temptation of corruption. And of course, other people who hate you merely because of the magic for any number of reasons. That ranged from annoying to downright dangerous."

Eriol, from some unknown signal, finished. "The worst part though was knowing why Clow Reed died. He had somehow lost control of the magic and it built to lethal levels. By the time the visions made it clear to him what would happen it was too late to stop, but he finally cast a spell to try to ensure it wouldn't happen again. That's why his soul was divided in two, to divide the magic in two. When that didn't work though I was scared that some day the magic would kill me too."

Yukito's eyes grew large. "Magic can do that?"

Eriol smiled reassuringly. "Can, but it's very rare. In my last life I was careless and arrogant. I was so concerned with being powerful and being right that I brought my downfall upon myself. When _I_ realized that within me was all of Clow's power and memories I knew the same fate would befall unless I could create balance again."

"Some day the same fate might have fallen upon whoever broke the seal on the cards. Keroberus chose well though because Sakura just isn't the kind of person to seek power for the sake of power. And...the truth behind the Judgment is that only someone with great love and a pure heart could convince Yue's own cards to not listen to him and be able to beat him. Clow was the only one who could have beat him any other way." Fujitaka spoke as if from a great distance, and Yukito just knew that the whole conversation hadn't been his to overhear...the two magicians had manipulated things to explain something to Yue without having to face him directly.

But, Fujitaka wasn't like that! He wasn't manipulative and never shied away from dealing with things directly when they needed dealing with. Yukito also had a feeling that Clow wasn't like that either. He wouldn't be cruel enough to--to talk _through_ someone like that. Not unless forced to. "Very clever," Yuki said weakly, blinking.

Eriol looked stricken and Fujitaka cursed under his breath. "Forgot yourselves a little?" Touya's voice rag through the room from the doorway. Yuki turned his head to look up at his lover, smiling gratefully at him. Touya was still drying his hair with a towel as he walked over and sat next to Yuki. "Don't worry about them, at least Dad didn't mean it personally, whatever it was that set you off. They were patting themselves on the back when I got home, and the only thing they have in common is some idiot of a dead magician." He winked.

"To-ya, are we planning on staying here tonight? You could have taken a shower at home if they were home when you got back from work."

"Yeah. I want to still keep a close eye on Sakura--" He broke off when the front door opened and the subject of his statement announced her arrival and the arrival of her boyfriend. "And I still want to keep a closer eye on Sakura," he emphasized with a dark look.

Yukito laughed his pure, happy, teasing laugh. "You _still_ don't like him?" His eyes spoke hints of an inside joke, (sister complex? with a tilted eyebrow) that was shared only between the lovers.

Touya's eyebrows inched slowly together. "I know you're not thinking of saying what I think you're thinking of saying."

"Of course not, To-ya." His eyes sparkled behind his glasses and everyone smiled as Sakura walked in, dragging a very nervous Syaoran behind her.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura was floating, happier than she had ever been before. She didn't forget the dire warnings in the air, but she was almost thankful for them because she got to see Syaoran again. When the two of them walked into the living room she was oblivious to the undertones and only saw smiling faces. "Hello everybody!"

Everybody tried to talk at once, and Sakura just laughed, happy to be in a room full of people who cared about her so much. There were many hugs given and many exclamations about growing up so quickly. She was even amused about some of the glares that were exchanged, knowing that there was no real animosity behind them. Finally she noticed two conspicuous absences. "Eriol, where are Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon?"

"They are at the house, grabbing books for me to do some research. There were things I left behind here that I hoped I'd never need again. Your father and I plan on some late night research on this."

Her father smiled kindly. "You're invited to help us if you'd like."

Touya snickered at the dismayed look on Sakura's face. "Um...er...well, I...I was going to ask Tomoyo to come over later to help me with homework and studying. We have a lot to do and a huge math test coming up, so I'd love to help, but I don't know if I'll be able to."

Fujitaka and Eriol exchanged a glance and then began to laugh together. Sakura felt a bit out of place because she hadn't noticed before just how similar the two of them were at times. It was very strange to see them interacting. And then she realized something that had been nagging her the whole time. "Eriol-san, you have grown to look very much like Clow-sama." Her voice was solemn and her eyes were large. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

Eriol smiled sadly. "It couldn't be helped. I could cut my hair short again and hide it a little, but I grew fond of the style from the memories I had. I also happen to think it looks better like this."

The smile Sakura gave him could have melted the polar ice caps, and raised Syaoran's blood pressure to dangerous levels. "It looks very good on you, it makes you look very dignified. Don't you think so Syaoran?"

Syaoran growled out of habit, glaring at Eriol before remembering that no matter what Sakura said to him, those two would never be together. Sakura turned and grabbed Syaoran's hand, understanding his turn of thoughts. "Sure, it looks good." He gave a resigned sigh and Sakura giggled.

Then, as Sakura turned to her father she felt Syaoran stiffen behind her. "Dad, I wanted you to know that Syaoran and I are a couple now."

Touya's shout from behind made her jump, but Fujitaka just smiled at his little girl. "I'm glad he makes you happy."

"Dad! You can not seriously let that brat date Sakura?"

It was Yukito who soothed Touya and forced him to accept the inevitable while Fujitaka chuckled. Chaos ensued after that, and too many conversations went on at once to keep track of. Kero-chan floated down and added to the mayhem, and finally Eriol's guardians appeared to bring the chaos to a new peak. When Sakura finally called Tomoyo to invite her over for studying and homework it was late enough to give them an excuse to have her spend the night. Dinner was late...and huge! Everybody pitched in for a feast, and in the end there was still nothing left. Finally everybody wandered off into small groups and Sakura glowed with pleasure. She was surrounded with those who loved her most and understood her best.

Near bed time her father pulled her aside with a twinkle in his eye. "Sakura-chan, have I ever mentioned that Tomoyo-chan looks a lot like your mother did when we met?"

Sakura looked confused, wondering what he meant. She had noted the similarity in from photographs of her mother, but she didn't expect her _father_ of all people to point it out. And then she noticed where his eyes were resting. Eriol and Tomoyo were standing in a corner alone, looking at each other as if they were the only people in the house. As she watched Tomoyo stuttered over something she was saying and Eriol looked down and blushed. There was obviously a connection being forged between the two.

"Kawaii!!! Now I know how Tomoyo feels every time she doesn't have a camera; I wish I could catch this on tape!"

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue was relieved when things started to finally die down. He was tired of suppressing his thoughts and emotions around Fujitaka and Eriol so that Yukito wasn't uncomfortable. He was frustrated with the teasing Nakuru handed to Yuki and Touya all evening. He was edgy and uncomfortable around so many people--especially so many happy people. He felt more like an outsider than ever.

He nudged Yukito to make his excuses and get ready for bed a bit before Touya, who was playing host by helping his dad and sister by bringing out blankets and pillows. He had overheard Syaoran ask for the privilege of researching with them and had been tempted to offer his services. He wanted to be useful and depended on and most of all distracted, but in the end he knew it would be too painful to deal with right now. He wanted some alone time for a while...just him and his "mask".

__

Yukito?

__

What? Talking again? You'll ruin your image with me, chatterbox.

Please.

I'm sorry. What's wrong?

I'm sorry for the bleed through of emotions earlier. That shouldn't have happened.

Yue?

Yes?

Am I really just a mask? How real am I? You said I know you better than I know and that scares me. It means we're more like different aspects of the same person. Are we?

I don't know anymore, Yuki. I've started feeling more like I'm not the one that's real lately, but one of us has to be at least. I'd rather you be the real one.

I still have nightmares of fading away into nothing.

I know. So do I.

Neither of them felt like sharing their thoughts after that. Yue contemplated the situation and didn't like any of the directions his mind took. There were no good answers, and most of the questions just raised more. When Touya finally joined Yuki in bed their emotions were running high and Yukito clung to his lover with a deeply emotional need. They fell to sleep with limbs entwined and Yue felt safe and secure, despite knowing that it was Yukito, not himself, that Touya was protecting. All that mattered was that someone felt protective of him, in one form or another.

The night passed and nightmares tried to shatter that sense of security, but finally Yue felt Touya roll over and deliberately hold him with love and protection. Yue felt himself respond automatically by tucking his head in under Touya's chin and wrapping his arms around the other man. Touya's arms circled him, stroking his back and fingering his long hair lazily. Yue purred, scratching Touya's back lightly with his long nails and listening to the lazy rhythm of Touya's heartbeat. The perfect way to start the day.

The heartbeat suddenly raced and Touya stiffened, hands clutching the long hair tightly. "Yue? What happened to Yuki?"

Yue's eyes opened wide as he searched his mind for any hint of what had happened. Vague images of half glimpsed nightmares tried to push in on his awareness, but were somehow stopped. There was no hint of Yukito's personality anywhere. He tried to concentrate on transforming into his other self, but nothing happened at all.

"Yuki is gone!"

Yue's cry of dismay was suddenly overshadowed by something more dire and disturbing. In the room next-door they suddenly heard Tomoyo's piercing scream.

"SAKURA-CHAN!!!"

Yue easily won the race to Sakura's bedroom as he literally flew down the hall. Tomoyo was clutching Sakura's bed sheet and what appeared to be a note, still screaming and looking around frantically. "Where is she? What happened?"

"I don't know! She is just gone!" Tomoyo fainted and everyone gathered around her in Sakura's room. Touya bent over and retrieved the note she still had in her hands. Yue reached toward him automatically as the taller mad grew pale.

"It just says, 'This is a sample, I have them both. I want the secret of the cards.' It's not signed." Touya sat heavily on the bed.

Fujitaka and Eriol exchanged a worried but determined glance. "It's not going to happen," Eriol said with a shake of his head. "We'll be able to rescue Sakura."

Yue watched over Touya's shoulder though as the letters snaked around on the paper and formed another sentence. 'On your own heads be it.' Before he or Touya could report the change though they were interrupted.

"Both? Sakura is the only one who is missing here."

Yue bowed his head, pain written more clearly than ever on his face. He didn't see the dawning realization on everyone's faces right before he let the name slip out in a strangled whisper. 

"Yukito."


	4. Missing

A/N: New reviewers…Thank you L-chan and Monique! I update as soon as I finish a chapter, and here it is, as fast as I could get it out. This chapter starts inching closer to the rating bit...maybe not graphic stuff, but absolutely adult themes here. You may find parts of this chapter disturbing, I know I do. Serious darkness ahead, serious pain, and serious healing must follow.

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Missing

Yukito woke up cold and alone. He was still dressed in his pajamas, but he found himself on a stone floor of what looked like a classic castle dungeon. He felt light-headed and dizzy as he tried to sit up, but the feeling passed quickly. He looked around, taking in the appearance of the mold covered stones of the walls and the rusty bars of his cell. He noticed chains on the walls, but he hadn't been chained . He heard movement behind him though and found Sakura had been chained to the wall. She hung limply, clearly unconscious. She was shifting though, moaning a bit, and Yuki was sure she would wake up soon.

That's when he realized that she was bleeding. The shackles at her wrists were metal and the edges were clearly not made with comfort in mind. Her entire weight was supported by her wrists and the shackles were digging cruelly into her skin. He immediately rushed over to her, supporting her weight and trying to wipe away the blood.

Sakura cried out, waking up with horror in her eyes. "Ow! That hurts." She sobbed and Yukito held her close to him, offering what comfort he could. "Yukito! Where are we?" Tears shimmered in her eyes as she looked around, and she was trembling in his arms.

"I don't know. When I woke up we were alone here."

"Why are you free if I'm chained up?"

"Maybe our captor doesn't think I'm a threat."

"Maybe. I feel drained, and I don't have the cards. Can you--" She left the question open ended, but it was obvious that the question wasn't quite directed at him.

Yukito closed his eyes, waiting for the change to happen and the void to claim him. He waited some more. He opened his eyes, shocked, and saw Sakura's eyes grow wide in alarm. _Yue?_ He waited a little bit longer, but panic was starting to settle deep within him. He had been feeling strange, insecure and empty since he had woken up, but the thought had never crossed his mind that he would somehow be separated from--from his real self. "Sakura--I can't feel Yue. He's not here at all. I'm by myself."

"But...but...but...how is that possible?"

"I don't know," he replied, his voice shaking with terror.

Sakura somehow found the ability to pull herself together. "I can't reach the key around my neck. Yukito, could you please reach it and hand it to me?"

He reached his quaking hands around to the back of her neck to pull the string she kept her key on over her head. He finally found a calm when he placed the key in her hand and the magic power surged through the air. He had never heard for himself the incantation she used to change the key to a staff, but the words slipped around and through him with a familiar feeling caress. There was no doubt now, this was magic that was a part of him, what had created him, and what gave him continued existence.

And yet, the magic somehow _pulled_ at him and drained him somehow. He felt weakened and diminished by the time she was finished. It was a feeling similar to what had happened in high school when Sakura was changing the cards. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since though...a feeling that had been put behind after Touya had given his power to Yue. He was about to warn Sakura, but then she used the staff to tap one of the shackles and open the lock upon it. Darkness crashed around him like a wave and he felt power drain directly from him to her. The last thing he was aware of was Sakura's scream.

~~~~~@~~~~~

There was no place in the entire Kinomoto house that Yue could be alone with his thoughts. He wanted to fly up to the roof and rest there, but he hesitated to do that in broad daylight. He finally settled for climbing out Touya's window and hiding in the tree for a while. He realized, as he almost slipped off a branch, that his magic had been considerably diminished with the disappearance of Yuki. He also realized that none of his magic was supplemented by Sakura anymore--it was all coming from Touya again.

That was probably why Touya found him so easily a few minutes later. "That answered one question."

"What?"

"I was wondering if there was any way of tracing your magical bond with Sakura back to wherever she is, but if you're pulling on me again the answer is an obvious no."

"I'm sorry, To-ya. I don't know if I could have anyway. It feels like I've just had my soul ripped out and it's difficult to think."

Touya nodded and then climbed across the tree to sit next to Yue. "That's the second time I've noticed you use Yukito's nickname for me. I think you have before too, but you never stick around for me to talk to you. I'd really like it if we could talk."

Yue shrugged. He cast his eyes downward, swinging his feet back and forth a little as they dangled below him. He realized he was also playing with his hair--a nervous habit he had tried to be rid of when he had been struggling with expressing his love for Clow. The silence had stretched too long. With a sigh he forced his hands and feet to still and deal with what Touya had said. He had been avoiding it too long. "I'm sorry for being so familiar, Touya. I forgot myself."

"That wasn't the point."

"Oh?"

"I think you know what I meant."

Yue looked up and met Touya's gaze. He shivered at the look in the younger man's eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not Yuki." A wave of sadness washed over his countenance, and then he bowed his head again, watching as he swung his feet in the air again.

"Then you know how I look at him. The two of you aren't as separate as you would like me to think."

"No, the two of us were a lot closer than I wanted anyone to know. Especially him. It hurt him to think that he wasn't real, so I wanted him to have a real life. I...I came out here to be alone because I think I know why now. He got it from me. I'm the one who is scared of not being real." His hands were twisting his hair again.

Touya's hand raised for a moment, hesitating an inch from one of Yue's hands, and then grazed the pale skin gently. Finally Touya pressed his hand more firmly against the back of Yue's hand, stilling the twisting motion and offering comfort to the moon guardian. "I can't imagine how hard this is for you. Part of your self ripped away suddenly like that. I have no idea what that would be like."

"Yes you do, only you gave yours willingly."

Touya cupped Yue's cheek, guiding him to look into Touya's eyes and see the compassion there. "The whole part about being willing makes a huge difference." Touya's lips quirked a bit at the corners, giving a hint of a grin for a moment.

Yue brought his own hand up to cup Touya's face gently. "You've also just lost your sister and your...your lover." He swallowed hard. "It's _not_ the same, but I believe it hurts just as much."

They sat there, staring into each others eyes, feeling each other's pain through a bond that was deeper than either expected. Yue only realized that he was resting his head on Touya's shoulder when eye contact was broken, but that was almost a relief. Silent tears began slipping down his face and onto the fabric of Touya's shirt. Yue's arms slowly reached around Touya's waist, and Touya's arms in turn held Yue close around the shoulders, offering him what comfort he could. "We'll get them back. Somehow we'll get them back and everything will be okay again."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Evil laughter echoed off the stone walls as Yukito dropped to the ground. Sakura had managed to free one hand, but the other was still held and she didn't dare try to free herself further. She was out of energy, and she had a terrible feeling that the only magical being she could draw power from in this strange and terrible place was her friend, Yukito. "**_NO! Yukito!_**" Her scream ripped from her throat and overpowered the sound of laughter she had only half heard. She tried to reach out to him, but with only one hand free she couldn't reach the ground he had fallen on.

"What? Not going to free yourself Card Mistress?"

The voice was deep and heavily accented, but it was strangely easy to understand. She looked around, but still couldn't see anything. There was magic in the air though, and she easily identified the strongest source as coming from the corner across the room to her left. She glared in that direction as she retorted, "I can't do that! I couldn't hurt Yukito like that."

"Good. Now you know the stakes. Don't try to escape. Your friend's life depends on it." A shadowy form began to be revealed as she continued to look in the direction of the greatest magic. It felt to her like some sort of illusion was being used, but it wasn't nearly as strong as her card so was relatively easy to see through.

"Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?" Sakura tried to sound strong and intimidating, but she was almost ready to pass out. The shadowy figure was starting to show a more human form, but Sakura was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate.

"I am looking for power, and you have that power. I want the secret of how your cards were made. I can use that power to have anything I want."

"I don't know! I couldn't tell you. Please, let us go!"

"Little girl, without your cards you are nothing but a tool. You may be powerful with your guardians and your borrowed magic, but I am just using you. You are disposable. You are also my key to forcing the two who would know the secret to reveal the knowledge."

"No! Neither of them would tell you anything!"

"You have no idea what I'm capable of. They will do what I want because Clow Reed himself thought of you as a daughter, and neither your real father nor your old friend would dream of letting you come to harm. When they see the harm I can inflict they will do whatever I say."

"No!"

"Oh yes."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Daidouji Sonomi had gotten to work early. She had a nagging feeling that something just wasn't right, but since Tomoyo was with Sakura she didn't think the uneasy feeling could be related to her daughter. Her hunches had never been as strong as her cousin, Nadeshiko, but there was a little of the family gift in her blood. It was too bad Tomoyo had never inherited that gift, but it was probably better that way. Having an uneasy feeling that you couldn't do anything about until too late wasn't any real kind of gift anyway.

She waited for the bad news to fall, whatever it was, but as the morning wore on nothing concrete formed. Finally, right before lunch, she received her mail and a videotape was included. Her feeling of dread increased as she looked at it. A note was taped to it, addressed to "Sonomi Daidouji, deliver to Fujitaka Kinomoto ASAP" in English. She didn't hesitate to call her personal assistant and cancel her afternoon meeting. This felt important to her, and she needed to know what it was.

She drove swiftly to the Kinomoto residence. She had never been there herself, but she knew exactly where it was. Conflicting emotions warred within as she drove, but she knew that this was important. She didn't know that Fujitaka would be there anyway, he had classes since it was only Thursday. In fact, no one should be there. Sakura and Tomoyo would have headed off to classes already also. Sonomi considered turning around and driving to the university, but right before that her phone rang. An automated voice announced that her daughter had not arrived to school that day. That's when Sonomi was certain that she was driving in the right direction. Something was dreadfully wrong, and the video she was bringing to her old rival was part of the puzzle.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue watched the car pull up and a woman in a business suit and a short, neat hairstyle walk out. It took him a moment to realize who it was, but he had seen her from behind Yukito's eyes before. Tomoyo's mother. He sat perfectly still, wondering what could have brought this woman here of all places.

Touya had gone back inside a few minutes before, deciding to fix lunch for everyone so that he'd have something productive to do. Yue had finally been able to spend time alone with his thoughts, but realized that it was no longer to his liking. He was too alone. The arrival of Tomoyo's mother was a welcome enigma.

As soon as she knocked on the door she was welcomed in. Yue carefully climbed back to the roof of the house, not wanting to draw on his magic unless necessary. He wasn't surprised that when he got inside and stood at the top of the stairs he heard Fujitaka's voice say, "You might as well go tell Yue and Kero to come down here too. If this tape has what I think it does, there won't be much point in keeping secrets at this point."

Yue heard Tomoyo agree, and then she rushed toward the stairs with a worried expression. She stopped short five stairs up when she saw him. She gave him a little smile. "You heard?"

"Yes, I'll go get Cerberus. We'll be down in a moment."

He turned slowly, walking a bit reluctantly into Sakura's room. "Cerberus, Daidouji Sonomi is here and everybody wants us to come downstairs. I think she brought something about Sakura with her."

Kero was in his small form, looking out the window. "Did you feel anything last night?"

"I had nightmares, but I don't even remember what they were now. I didn't wake up, I didn't have any warning other than the same bad feeling everybody else had."

"I didn't feel anything at all. I should have woken up or something, but I didn't even know anything was wrong until Tomoyo screamed. I don't understand how this could have happened."

"Let's go see what the new development is. We'll find whoever did this, we'll find Sakura, and we'll bring her back home."

~~~~~@~~~~~


	5. Darkest Days

A/N: Disturbing things ahead. I'm sorry. Thank you to starquestor for the review! I don't have any _plans_ for a threesome...but Touya and Yue already don't listen to me, so who knows what I'll end up writing. Yukito is too agreeable, too nice, I don't think I could ever kill him. But I won't pretend the thought hasn't crossed my mind. It still crosses my mind. You just never know with me. So, you'll know as soon as I do. ~evil grin~

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Darkest Days

Sonomi paced the room, waiting for whoever Yue and Kero were. She was very upset about what she had learned. Her Nadeshiko's baby girl had been kidnapped, and the tape that had been sent to her was from the monster that had taken her. She shook with rage and reached for her phone for the fifth time since arriving. Why hadn't the police been called? Why were they standing around and waiting for two people she had never heard of to come downstairs before seeing something that could help Sakura? What was wrong here, and why would Sakura have been the one taken?

Fujitaka walked over to Sonomi and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura has been involved in something that she kept secret from people as long as she could. I know you remember how Nadeshiko could see spirits and know things before they happen, and I think that's one of the reasons you were so protective of her."  


"I was protective of her, Kinomoto, because I loved her." Her glare was full force, but short lived. "But yes, I do remember her gift."

"Sakura received that gift and years ago used it to unlock the secrets of an ancient sorcerer. I think she didn't want to worry anybody else because she kept it a secret as long as she could."

"Maybe she didn't want everyone to think she was crazy? Or take advantage of her power?"

Fujitaka looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Why would anyone--?"

"Because that's why I was so silent about my own gifts while growing up." She gave him a wink. "I don't have anything near what Nadeshiko had, but I still have feelings about things too. When we were growing up Nadeshiko and I started out being open about things like that, but grandfather was the first to tell us not to make up stories. I understand about keeping such things secret."

He bowed his head. "I didn't. I'm starting to now, but I didn't expect you to understand because I didn't understand at first."

Fire flashed behind her eyes, but instead of being insulted she decided to be amused. "I suppose that's fair because you didn't know. Now, you were saying something about the secrets of an ancient sorcerer?"

It was at that moment that a young man with very long silver hair walked in, trailed by a golden flying teddy bear. Sonomi felt something strange about the two, something that must have been magical, but their appearances alone told of that. "These are Yue and Keroberus," Fujitaka said by way of introduction.

"Secrets?"

"Two of them."

"Hmmm." She paused for a moment with a thousand questions running through her mind, but came to a decision quickly. "As much as I'd like to have this spelled out for me right now, it will be a waste of time. I hope the tape has a key to finding Sakura, so let's watch it now." She was all business as she put the tape in and turned the TV on, sitting next to her daughter to see what would be revealed.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue stood behind the couch while everybody else sat down in front of the TV. He knew he should be sitting with the rest, but he wanted to pace the floor instead. Standing was the closest he could handle to a compromise. It took willpower to stand still as the tape started, but that was nothing new. Then, as events began to unfold, he lost awareness of his body...all he could think about was the horror on the screen.

Sakura had been placed in chains. She was centered on the screen, and as they watched a person in dark robes walked over and waved a crystal ball in front of the unconscious girl. She twitched a bit, and a glow seemed to drain from Sakura into the crystal. The dark figure chuckled with a deep rumble as he turned away and walked off. It was clear that he was siphoning off her magic.

Another camera angle showed Yukito sprawled on the cold floor and Yue's stomach fluttered. They watched him rise, groggy, and saw Sakura stir from behind him. When Yue heard Sakura's trembling request for her key he knew what would happen next. He had to bite his lower lip to keep from crying out when she turned the key to a staff and then unlocked the first cuff around her wrist. He was the only one that did not gasp in shock when Yukito passed out, and then every eye turned upon him to see what reaction he would have to seeing his other self fainting. He waved them off weakly, keeping his eyes on the screen. He did _not_ want the attention right now.

Then they heard the enemy's voice for the first time. "What? Not going to free yourself Card Mistress?" Yue glanced over in Eriol's direction to see if there was a hint of recognition there. He wanted to know if this was an old enemy or a new threat. Eriol's glasses flashed, but that was just from a slight shift of position. He found that Eriol was too much his own person, not enough like Clow, to read his expression.

They all watched in horrified fascination as Sakura talked to the unseen person behind the camera. She was strong and determined, but they could see that she was also scared. Her unknown adversary taunted her, spelling things out to her about how nothing she did mattered. It all depended on what the reincarnations of Clow did. She was defiant, and Yue wanted to cheer her for that show of defiance, but he was afraid for her. This could go very badly for her, especially if she showed such bravado. She would be pushed further in order to "put on a show" for those who loved her. It was something he had become too familiar with from Clow's days. Yue stole a glance at Fujitaka and knew that the memories were reaching her father's mind too. It seemed that enemies of Clow Reed, past or present, tended to be of the ruthless type.

Fujitaka winced and Eriol jumped to his feet as they heard the following:

__

"You have no idea what I'm capable of. They will do what I want because Clow Reed himself thought of you as a daughter, and neither your real father nor your old friend would dream of letting you come to harm. When they see the harm I can inflict they will do whatever I say."

"No!"

"Oh yes."

With that the strange man walked in front of the camera and stood before Sakura. He held a wand in one hand and a key in the other. He kept the wand trained on Yukito's still form while he used the key to unlock Sakura. _"If I hit your friend right now he will die. Poof, and no more friend into a puff of nothing. You do understand that, right? So, be a good girl and lay on that table for me. I'll tie you up and then we'll start this for real. Don't hesitate...I can zap your friend in an instant."_

Syaoran growled. Someone else muttered something about killing the bastard. It didn't matter who said it, for it was a sentiment shared by them all.

Sakura nearly ran to the table and waited, eyes large and locked on Yuki the whole time. The fear in her eyes was clear. Whoever this enemy was, he had watched her carefully to find the perfect person to capture and manipulate her with. Without his true form he was perhaps the most vulnerable of them all, and one of the people Sakura cared about the most deeply. The person that _everybody_ cared deeply about. 

Finally, Yue realized that he wouldn't be able to take the rest of this standing up. It was too emotional. He walked to the side of the couch and gracefully slid to the floor next to Touya. He pulled his knees up to his chest and leaned slightly against the couch. He wasn't surprised that Touya's hand landed soon after on his shoulder, and he found it very comforting. Even if he was just a surrogate for Yukito, it was _something_.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura couldn't take her eyes away from Yukito. She was terrified that this sick monster would do something to him while he was weak. Without Yue he couldn't protect himself, and since she was so drained of magic she couldn't protect him. She had no idea when this nightmare would end, but she was determined that it wouldn't end on her captor's terms.

Rope was wrapped around her ankles and forearms this time. Her hands dangled off the sides of the table the way she was tied. She imagined that it would be very uncomfortable after a while, but her raw and bleeding wrists were spared.

"Now we get to the fun part, where I get to play with fire. See, fire is such a pretty thing. It dances, it excites, and it warms us. Without fire we would be nothing, the whole human race would be a bunch of animals still hunting and foraging in the forests. And, I have a special rapport with fire. It likes me. I like it. And I like to use it."

"What do you mean?"

"I am going to burn you. And then I'm going to heal you. And when I heal you the skin and tissues will still be intact. It will be perfectly healthy. But it will still burn. You will still feel it. And that will break you down. The burn will stay in the same place for as long as I will it, but it won't do any damage so it can just keep burning and burning and burning. I can stop it so you can recover some strength, and then start it up again and it will just keep burning and burning. And that is just the first part of the show. I will delight in watching you writhe in agony."

"You're sick."

"Yes, thank you. But, I wouldn't be so quick to judge. You are powerless."

With that he used his wand and set fire to her left hand. There was real fire there, real blisters, real smell of burning flesh, real skin charring, peeling back, blood boiling, and--

Sakura screamed.

It ate her hand. She had never felt anything so painful. Tears poured down the sides of her face. She pulled against the ropes, trying to get free somehow to put the fire out, but there was no escape. She couldn't roll her hand against the table to put it out because of the angle her arm was held. She had to hold her hand up helplessly as her hand was consumed. Time stood still as her universe became the hand and her agony.

And in a small place in the back of her mind she calculated. It was a magical fire. It was energy. She could draw upon the energy. She was still the most powerful sorceress in the world, even if her tools were removed. Even if this clown didn't believe it fully. The cards were her friends, the cards were her tools, but the cards were not her magic. Otherwise she would never have been able to convert them into Sakura Cards in the first place. This small part of her mind locked everything else out and drew that power in. And then that small part reasoned that this adversary must have a way to draw her energy out, so holding reserves would be useless. It then channeled the energy into Yukito a little bit at a time so that the enemy couldn't sense it. It would seem like the natural bond they shared.

And then all of Sakura passed out from the pain, stopping the power transfer.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yukito woke up, smelling burned flesh. He didn't have to open his eyes to know what was happening, something whispered all he needed to know to him. Sakura was being tortured. That's all he really wanted to know.

He pretended to still be out, hoping he'd be ignored if he didn't seem like a threat. He slowly opened his eyes a sliver and saw a tall, heavyset man with curly blond hair and glittering dark eyes bent over Sakura, extinguishing flames on her left hand. As the flames went out he pulled out a sphere. It glowed and gathered magic into itself, then restored Sakura's hand.

"Sakura has passed out, but that is only a short reprieve for her. You, dear observers, will soon watch as I put the pure pain to use. If you give me the secret of the cards now I will release her and that will be all there is. If you don't, this will be a pain that will hit her over and over and over again for the rest of her life. Do you want that? Can you sacrifice your little Sakura's left hand for your secrets?"

He waited for an answer, his eyes growing distant as if listening to something very far away. Yuki knew though that their captor wasn't aware that he had awoken, so it must be someone else he wanted an answer from. Yuki looked around, trying to figure out who this madman could be talking to…when he saw cameras appear out of nowhere. Suddenly the whole dungeon looked like a poorly done movie set. It had all been illusion.

What else was this trickster up to that was illusion? As soon as the fire had gone out the smell had left also. It should have lingered, but Yuki was sure that it was an illusion also. He looked into the nearest camera and shook his head. It was a great show, but their captor must have used his only serious magic in taking them in the first place. Otherwise...otherwise...what? He was missing a step in his logic, but he was sure he was on to something.

He closed his eyes again. "Illusion," he muttered under his breath. "All if this is an illusion, but why? And how do I know?"

Dammit, Yue would know! But, that had to be why he was here and Yue wasn't.

Then he heard Sakura whimper from the table she was on. He immediately felt more awake, stronger, and somehow more alive. She was somehow giving him her power. That must be why he was awake, but their captor thought he shouldn't be. Yuki fought to keep his eyes closed, gathering his strength for when he would need it. He didn't know what he'd be able to do, but he figured that the element of surprise was always helpful in situations like this.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue was staring intently at a part of the screen he was sure no one else had noticed. His other self, his counterpart, had opened his eyes much sooner than he otherwise should have. Yue knew immediately what that meant. Sakura was feeding Yukito power.

Then he saw, very slightly, Yuki say something. Something about illusion.

Something suddenly clicked in the back of Yue's mind. He sat still for a few more moments, making sure all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place right. It all fit. Knowing that they were being monitored while they watched what was on the tape Yue left his face neutral. He stood.

"I can't sit here anymore and watch this. I'm going to go fix lunch. To-ya, Syaoran, would you like to help me?" Yue didn't bother looking at their faces. He knew they'd be surprised to both be included, but he needed to talk to them both. He had a plan.


	6. Yukito's Magic

A/N: Buckle up, you're in for a bumpy ride. The action is building here, but the next chapter will be **full** of it. Trust me. It's coming. And **then** we'll get to the sappy romance bits, okay? This is as dark as I could stomach, and I think you'll see now why I gave it the rating I did. If you don't agree, let me know. That way I can avoid you in the future. LOL

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Starquestor said my story is brilliant! Wai! ~does a happy dance~ Thank you for pointing out what I'm doing right. I hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint. I'm writing as fast as I can!

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Silent Eyes

**__**

Yukito's Magic

As soon as Touya and Syaoran followed Yue into the kitchen, Yue created a subtle magic shield around the three of them. Touya's eyebrows rose questioningly while Syaoran's lowered in confusion. "Act naturally, help me fix lunch, we're being watched."

Touya immediately headed to the refrigerator and started pulling things out. He gave simple instructions, deciding what to fix in an instant. And then, in the same tone of voice, he added, "We can talk freely then?"

"We can, right now, because I am confident that Sakura's kidnapper can't concentrate on too many things at once. When he glances to see what we're doing he will see us at work, boring, and he will return his attention to his real targets again."

Syaoran nodded calmly. "The magic was to keep him from listening in, but that's it? Just enough to keep him from getting suspicious."

Yue looked down, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to admit his weakened state. Honesty won. "That's part of it, but mostly I don't want to be too much of a drain on Touya."

"On--? Sakura is even cut off from you? Dammit!" Syaoran was shaking with the effort it took to not let his anger show.

Yue waved a hand toward the window, glancing at where he knew the invisible moon hung in the sky. "I'm at less than half my usual strength. Yukito is half of my self and when he was taken half of my magic went with him. The new moon is tomorrow. I'm the weakest I've been since--" He broke off with a significant glance toward Touya.

Syaoran looked between the two for a moment, then went back to work chopping vegetables. "So, what's the plan?"

"We'll need to ask for magical help from people who aren't here but still know Sakura. Touya, if you could bring the phone in here?"

Touya nodded and complied.

"Syaoran, your mother and sisters have met Sakura? I have a vague memory of going to modern Hong Kong, but my memories of being Yuki are fading."

It was Touya who answered. "Yes, we went there a few years ago. The brat's sisters are rather hard to forget." The smirk on Touya's face started a glaring match between the two that threatened to degenerate into physical violence. Yue missed Sakura more than ever at that moment; she always managed to distract the two or be a buffer between them somehow. And...if Sakura didn't stop the two from coming to blows...Yukito always had.

Yue sighed and stepped between the two, breaking eye contact. He glared at Touya for a moment, then turned to Syaoran with a slight smile. "If I remember right, you had four beautiful sisters, but they were a bit too enthusiastic for my taste. Yuki thought they were fun and was amused that Touya was so uncomfortable. It's only a flash of an impression though. Now, can we put the rivalry aside and get back to what's important?" He wearily returned to making the pudding.

There was silence for a few moments, then Touya went back to cooking and Syaoran picked up the phone. "To-ya?"

"Yes?"

"When he's done, I need you to call Kaho Mitsuki. I thought about asking Eriol to call her, but I don't know how he's dealing with their breakup. I think her and her wife might be able to help though."

"What do you want me to tell her?"

"Don't worry, she'll know what to do."

Syaoran jumped and covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "How did--that's what my mother just said! She said she knows what to do. What's going on?"

__

Some things are best left unsaid, little wolf. Or, they're best left unsaid out loud at least. Yue projected the thought into Syaoran's mind, reminding the teenager that they had resources that couldn't be monitored even if they should be used sparingly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Eriol was shocked, suffering in a way that he couldn't describe. He knew he could end Sakura's suffering with a few simple words. It would be easy, no real effort, he would simply have to give the madman who was torturing his friend (daughter) the secret he wanted.

But, he knew what would happen then. The stakes were too high. This was an old enemy of Clow's who had relied heavily on illusion and a few real tricks to get what he wanted. The madman had been easy to defeat then, but now? The situation was very different now. Clow's energy had been divided between himself and Fujitaka, so Sakura had been the most powerful of them all. Last time Yue had been captured alone and had been able to fight free on his own. It had been a frantic time for Clow, but the results had been almost laughable.

This plan had been so well executed that Eriol hadn't made the connection until Yue took Touya and Syaoran into the kitchen. There was something about the angelic being's attitude that spoke volumes, and the part of Eriol that would always be Clow was fluent in the language of Yue's body.

Eriol found himself blushing as he tried to forget the images that unfortunate phrase called to mind. Not only was it inappropriate for the circumstances, but it was best for him to not think about Yue at all. Clow was dead, and confusing the issue would be a huge disservice to both of them. Maybe all three of them...all four of them? Did Yukito figure into this as well? He would have to if Eriol did.

That was only half of the mess that would ensue. He did not want to think about the twists and turns something like that would invite.

Eriol leaned forward, shifting position in reflection of trying to shift his mental path. What had been the name of this upstart? It had been so long ago that the original incident had been put out of his mind. Only Yue's indignity had caused the memory to stick with him at all.

__

Do you remember his name? Eriol shared his thoughts for the first time along the bond he shared with Fujitaka. Desperate times called for desperate measures after all.

A slight widening of the eyes and a pause in petting the demanding Keroberus was the only outward sign of surprise Fujitaka showed. _I remember what we called him...that annoying gnat buzzing around._

Eriol nodded slightly. _It seems the gnat was reincarnated as a wasp._

Keroberus? Would he remember? He had always remembered anything he could use to taunt Yue with. _Keroberus? Do you remember the idiot that tried to kidnap Yue?_

Kero snickered. He almost replied out loud, but Fujitaka placed a warning finger against the sun guardian's lips. _You think that this is the same person?_

Yes.

Damn. That means it will never be funny to tease Yue about him again. Keroberus looked sulky, but then brightened slightly. _If it's the same guy, he won't be hard to beat and Sakura will be safe soon!_

Eriol gave a small shake of his head. _He's obviously learned a few tricks since then, and none of us here are powerful enough to penetrate them._

__

Are you kidding? Kero suddenly flopped down in his full form in front of the couch, seeking petting from everyone in the room. He purred when Tomoyo and Sonomi immediately complied, eating up the attention with relish. _That guy had the same tricks back then. Don't you remember how weak I was, and Clow was, after Yue was taken? Same crystal ball. Same flair for the dramatic. Yue told me time and time again that the only reason he escaped so easily was that Korvath hadn't realized how quickly Yue would recover from being drained._

Aaah, yes. That was his name. Korvath. _Keroberus, does this mean you have an idea how to stop him?_

__

Of course. Wait until he makes his big mistake, then follow the energy from this tape to his current hide-out and rescue the Mistress and the Snow Bunny.

Eriol quailed. When he looked at the screen and paid attention to what was happening next the last thing he wanted to do was wait. Korvath was holding out a knife and threatening Sakura with it.

Wait, no. It was worse.

Korvath was threatening Sakura's _clothes_ with it. Ice was somehow pumping through Eriol's veins suddenly, and he didn't know how he could sit there and watch the screen anymore. As he surveyed the faces of the others in the room he knew he wasn't alone.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura kept her eyes closed as long as she could, but the pain made her whimper and gave away the fact that she was awake. She kept trying to pull her hand to her chest, but the rope just dug deeper into her arm with her struggles. The whole of her existence seemed to be centered on that hand and the pain she was in.

"Sakura, doll..." the enemy drawled, his breath tickling her ear. Knowing he was that close made her cringe and feel violated. She pulled against her restraints futilely, trying to just get away from this person. "It seems your friends and family _still_ don't take me seriously enough. It is time I did more I think."

"No. Please, no." Her voice was a hoarse whisper, full of horror.

"I'm afraid it's not up to me at this point. I'm just enjoying the ride."

He left for a few moments, and Sakura sent more magical energy to Yukito, hoping it would do some bit of good. She could see him stir slightly out of the corner of her eye, but it was a bad angle and she couldn't look at him directly to see what he was doing. Footfalls approached all too soon though, and Yuki stopped moving immediately.

Their captor came wielding a crystal ball and a knife. First he passed the crystal ball over Sakura, and she noticed that her hand had been healed. It still hurt terribly, but the flesh was whole. It gave her something to hold on to.

When the crystal ball had covered Sakura's entire body the man set it aside and Sakura felt diminished and weak. This, then, was the device her adversary used to drain her magic. Now that she knew what it was, she could destroy it if given a chance.

The thought was driven from her quickly though when the man brought out the knife. "My delicate little flower. It is time to taste your sweet, innocent nectar. You are such a pure little girl, so that will make the horror of what I am going to do that much worse. Fight me, please. I want to see you struggle. I get off on it."

The pain in her hand had blessedly diminished, but it left her with no distraction for this new horror. The knife was magically sharp, for it cut through her clothes as if the threads were smoke, and left a stinging trail across her skin where the knife had cut. She watched small dots of blood and red welts form in those areas. Watching the phenomena strangely centered her, letting her forget her emotions. Calm settled over her like a blanket, so it didn't matter that she was suddenly exposed.

This enraged the man. "I want you to squirm, little girl. Don't lay there like a corpse. When I have your body under mine I want you to already be howling in pain. This isn't a game that I'll stop playing just because you are frigid. And when I'm finished, I will use this knife to carve my name, Korvath, on your thigh. That way every man who has you after me will know who deflowered this little cherry blossom. Even that doesn't make you squirm? Then how about this?"

Suddenly, the pain in her hand hit a new height, ripping a shriek from her throat. She couldn't stop herself from writhing again with the pain, and wanted to throw up in disgust at the look of glee on the man's face. Tears clouded her vision, distorting the terrible form before her, and she missed what happened next. She just felt like there were more people in there, people she knew, and a sudden surge of magical energy blasted through the room. As consciousness left her she harnessed and channeled that energy to Yukito so he could somehow save them.

~~~~~@~~~~~

The hardest thing Yuki had ever done was lay still while he listened to Korvath gleefully talk about raping someone he loved so much. Sakura was the closest thing to a sister he would ever have, and he had come close to falling in love with her years ago. If Touya had rejected him--

He felt his hands clench and his nails dig into his palms. It didn't matter _how_ he loved her. He couldn't just sit back and let this monster destroy someone he loved. He would die first. His whole reason for being was to protect her anyway, even if that was more the duty of his other form. Yue was his _true_ form after all. He was fundamentally unable to let this man harm his Sakura.

He had just gathered his strength to stand and do something when a warm energy flowed into the room. He opened his eyes to see the ghostly forms of Mitsuki Kaho and Li Yelan grab Korvath's knife and crystal sphere. The knife was jerked into the sphere and energy exploded out from it. Both items disintegrated instantly and Korvath lunged for them. When he found he was grasping only empty air he turned upon Sakura's helpless and unconscious form, murderous intent clear on his features.

Yuki felt the power grow within him to extreme levels, and his will was already focused on stopping this man by any means necessary. He felt his body grow cold and his hands tingled. A glow formed around his hands, an icy blue color that illuminated the whole room in bright starkness like that of a landscape lit by the full moon. A split second before Korvath could strike Sakura the energy discharged and struck their enemy, throwing him with a sickening thud across the room.

A deathly silence descended upon them. It was obvious from the glassy stare that Korvath had died instantly. Yuki's eyes were saucers, staring back into those dead eyes. He had just killed someone. He had used magic, on his own, and used it to kill someone. He was in the same room as a corpse. A corpse he had just killed himself. With magic he shouldn't have had. Eventually he blinked, but then the staring started all over again. Another blink happened. This was soon followed by another blink. The next blink was to fight back the tears that were stinging the corners of his eyes. He didn't know why he should cry. He finally pulled his gaze away from the dead man, but that pulled him to Sakura's naked and bloodied body. He _never_ wanted to see that. He felt like he had violated her just by glancing at her in that state. He forced his eyes to stare at his toes, then ambled like a zombie toward Sakura. He awkwardly undid the ropes, freeing her. The last rope was the one on her left arm. The hand still looked whole, but he saw a muscle twitch in her palm and wondered if the pain would ever leave her.

He finally sunk to the floor, pulling his glasses off and weeping into his arms.

~~~~~@~~~~~


	7. Far From Over

A/N: This part will be more action, as promised. Plenty of angst, but they wouldn't let me pick Action/Adventure, Angst, *and* Romance. If, after the next two chapters, anyone thinks I should change it to Angst/Romance then let me know! But wait 'till you read at least this chapter. Okay? Oh, and just so everyone is aware, this story *will* turn into a lemon, but there will be no hardcore citrus here on ff.net. I will post links where appropriate. I refuse to bend the rules and use R as my surrogate NC-17. I will make this version as complete as I can, but if you want to see what you're missing out on and are of age feel free to read the rest of the story where appropriate. That's a future warning though...no worries yet.

Here there be darkness. You have been warned.

Thank you to the faithful Starquestor! Yes, Korvath the sicko was *terribly* easy to get rid of. I'll make it clear in future chapters why I took that route. Yuki has always been so kind and sweet and innocent. And non-magical. What will this do to him, especially in his vulnerable state of being alone? ~shivers~ And your next question…is about to be answered. Read on.

Silvermoon maru, thank you for the review! Yes, this story is almost unbearably dark. There *is* light at the end of the tunnel though, I swear! I'm glad you are reading even if it is darker than you expected. And...do you really think there are others who read this and just don't know what to say? I don't even know what to say about that, but if people are reading this I'd like to know. Really. I'm interested to know how many people think this story is worth their time to read, even if they don't think it's great or anything. A word or two would be awesome.

Kira--how much can I thank you? Really? You stuck with me on Generations even through my long dry spell, and as long as I write something about CCS you love it. ~blushes~ You are awesome! There were many times I thought about giving up on Generations because no one else was sticking with it, but you've been with me through thick and thin. I'm glad you like this one too! Thank you! Everybody, do me a favor and visit her site, Sakura Premium! http://mysticmobius.com/sakura/index.shtml

On with the story:

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Silent Eyes

**__**

Far From Over

Li Yelan grinned wickedly as she helped the other woman destroy the power center of little Sakura's captor. Surprise had slackened his grip on the knife enough for her to take it from him easily, and the red-haired beauty helping her held out a crystal orb with triumph. The knife slid into the glowing crystal easily, dispersing the energy stored within and removing a large portion of the monster's magic ability. Yelan let the wash of energy flow past, rocking with the wake since she wasn't there in physical form. Her and the other woman were too far away to truly teleport, and there was a barrier up that would have prevented that approach anyway. They had astrally projected their images there, using that as a focus to grasp the objects telekinetically. It was took a lot of energy, but it was something their adversary could not have expected.

She smiled in triumph and was about to let her consciousness simply snap back, but she saw the kidnapper lunge for Sakura. With the last of her magical strength she warned Yue telepathically, _Sakura is not out of danger yet!_

Yelan couldn't stay any longer. She was being pulled violently back because of the energy she had to spend in order to pick up and handle a hostile, physical, magical item. When her physical eyes snapped open she shuddered, scared for Sakura's safety.

Then the legendary Yue spoke within her mind again. _She is...no longer in immediate danger._

The mental tone was awash with an unidentifiable anguish. Sakura hadn't died, that much she could read, but some other great evil had befallen. Unfortunately, Yelan would not know what had happened for a while. Exhaustion swept over her and forced her into an uninterrupted sleep. She had done her part.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue walked from the kitchen back into the living room, leaving Touya and Syaoran to worry about food while he checked up on what was happening. Li Yelan and Mitsuki Kaho were almost ready, and he wanted to see for himself how his plan would work. The first thing he noticed when he walked in was that Keroberus had stretched out on the floor in front of the couch. He looked like he had been relaxing, but now he was tense and staring intently at the television. Sonomi had gone pale and clutched her daughter's hand tightly. Tomoyo had tears streaming down her face, but her eyes were locked, unblinking, on the screen. Fujitaka and Eriol wore almost identical looks of shock, horror, and guilt.

Yue's eyes finally locked on the screen to see the last of Sakura's clothes cut cruelly from her body. The intent of the kidnapper was unmistakable. It was horribly unreal to see this happening to the Mistress on a television screen when there was nothing he could do himself. He could only give the order for others to do his duty.

__

You must do it now, Korvath is about to do the unspeakable. He felt the two women agree, making their move immediately. The screen, magically showing events as they occurred, showed the ghostly forms of two women appear and destroy the magical implements. The wave of released energy caused the television screen to go blank for a moment, but Eriol quickly cast a new spell to show them the same scene. At the same time Korvath turned on Sakura Yue heard both Kaho and Yelan give warning. Their images were fading from view quickly, both had expended a lot of magic to do what they did over such great distances.

At that moment Yue knew defeat, sure that he had failed in the worse possible way. He had assumed the energy release would be enough for Sakura to tap into and save herself, but she was laying perfectly still on the table. She would not be casting any magic to save herself. Yue was sure she was about to die. He had failed.

An unearthly glow lit the room. It was an effect that Yue was intimately familiar with. It was the same glow that preceded his own most powerful magic. Yukito stepped into the frame, bathed in light that gathered quickly in his hands. The energy was released at its peak and blew Korvath with lethal force across the room.

"Yuki!" It was a harsh whisper that escaped Yue's constricting throat, but a moment later a tray of food met the floor behind him and Touya's much stronger voice echoed the cry.

His sweet, innocent, cheerful Yuki had been forced to kill to protect The Mistress. He had been forced to use Yue's magic to take a human life. He had witnessed horrors that Yue would have sheltered his mask from forever. Now there was no point. Yuki had had his innocence painfully ripped from him forever in one morning, bringing him closer to Yue than Yue would wish on anyone.

Touya ran to the television screen, trying to somehow comfort Yuki through it. Yuki and Yue had identical expressions of terrible numb shock on their faces for long moments. Syaoran walked in, staring silently. Yue remembered to let Kaho and Yelan know that Sakura was safe again and he felt them both mentally slump in relief. They were both soon asleep and he casually dismissed the mental link to them.

When Yukito finally turned and untied Sakura Eriol stopped the tape. "I have their location now. They'll still need rescued, but I don't think they'll be in any immediate danger."

"What do you mean, 'immediate danger'?" Sonomi demanded. "That monster is dead, so Sakura is safe! Right?"

"We should hurry," Eriol said, turning away.

Sonomi shook her head. "The cars won't be enough. Mine has room for only one passenger."

Yue interrupted, "I can fly."

Sonomi speared him with her own heated glare, matching his icy stare with unflinching will. "I don't think our group should be divided any further," she stated bluntly. "And before you say it, Kinomoto-sensei, Tomoyo and I will not stay behind. Sakura will need women around after what she has been through, even if we won't be much use in a fight. I'll call for the limo if we can wait that long."

No one dared argue with her and Yue turned and walked away, hiding an admiring smile. He resented anyone ordering him around other than Sakura, since she was his Mistress, but this lady had a good head on her shoulders in an emergency. It was just what this group needed.

Not that he'd admit it out loud, of course.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura's left hand ached and protested any movement, but the burning had finally left her. She groaned, sitting carefully, and noticed that while she was unconscious a few of the small cuts had bled a lot more than the small beads she had seen at first. In some spots she was covered with dried blood, but it hadn't flowed enough to reach the surface of the table. Just enough to flake off disturbingly when she moved.

She heard the soft rustle of fabric on the floor beside her and looked down at Yukito's bent form. "Yukito-san."

"Sakura-chan!" He almost looked up at her, but quickly averted his eyes. He quickly unbuttoned his pajama top and handed it in her direction, refusing to look up.

"Thank you," she whispered. She had known she was naked, but hadn't thought about being _naked_ until she saw his reaction to her. Her cheeks burned with shame and unshed tears stung the corners of her eyes. She gently took the proffered garment, easily slipping it over her shoulders. She moved to button the top though and gasped in pain. The small and precise motions needed to button the shirt caused her left hand to burn anew, even though she was uninjured physically. She slowly forced her hands to work the first button, and then the next, but when she reached the third Yukito's hands covered and stilled her own.

"I'm sorry, you're in too much pain for this. Let me help?"

Sakura nodded in relief, watching his hands as they deftly finished the task. When she looked into his beautiful amber eyes she saw a sadness and distance there that looked totally alien on him. It filled her heart with sadness to see Yuki so withdrawn and unhappy, but she realized that he might feel the same to look at her. She didn't want someone she loved so much to be so sad because of her, so she gave him the biggest smile she could. "Come on, let's get out of here."

His gaze rose to meet her face, startled at her cheerful tone. He looked so vulnerable for a moment, but managed to recall a smile of his own. "That's a wonderful idea," he agreed, acting almost like his old self until he looked away. Then the haunted look returned.

~~~~~@~~~~~

As they stood to leave, Sakura surveyed the room one last time and froze. Yuki didn't need to follow her gaze to know what she was looking at. She let out a scream, shuddering as Yuki grabbed her shoulders and turned her away. "Sakura, we have to get out of here. That will be a lot harder to do if either of us goes into hysterics. I don't like this any more than you do, but we have to just ignore it and walk away now."

She nodded stiffly and turned, testing the door that their captor had used. It was locked, but Sakura easily opened it with her key. They quickly moved to leave, but found themselves unable. There was some invisible barrier across their only exit. Sakura released her staff and tapped it against the invisible wall, but it rebounded strangely and wouldn't give way at all. "It's like the Shield card, but not quite as strong. If I had any of the cards here I could get out easily, but without them I don't know what to do."

Yuki spread his hands out in a hopeless gesture. "I'm sure Yue could have done something too, but I--" He broke off with a shiver. Something within him whispered that he could do the same magic, but he didn't _want_ to. It felt wrong for him to have so much power. The tears welled up again and he leaned against the wall, defeated.

When he looked up Sakura was studying him closely. She was starting to figure a few things out about what happened, but she didn't have all the clues she needed to put the puzzle together. Her eyes grew wide and she reached a hesitant hand toward her friend. "Yukito, how did that man die?" She gestured briefly toward Korvath, but then moved slightly closer to Yukito as if she still needed assurance and protection from the older man.

"I--I--I felt this energy in me, and he was coming back because he was going to kill you this time and I knew I had to stop him from hurting you again and my hands started to glow and tingle and I hit him with the energy and he flew across the room and he was dead oh my God Sakura I can't believe it and I don't understand it and it happened too fast and I just had to do it but--" He took a deep breath and forced himself to stop. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm so sorry...."

"Yukito, you saved my life. Thank you."

They stared at each other for a while longer, and then Sakura started crying. Yuki wrapped his arms around her to comfort her, but ended up crying also. For a very long time they sobbed into each others shoulders, finally collapsing on the floor next to each other. Awareness of anything but the two of them returned slowly when neither could force themselves to cry any more.

"What do we do now?"

Yukito shrugged. "We wait to be rescued. If it starts to look like we don't have any other choice I could...I could try...something. I don't think I should try though, and I really don't want to." His voice was huskier than usual and weak even to his own ears. He hated not being able to be strong and cheerful for Sakura, but he just couldn't force himself to be something he wasn't.

Sakura was the one to set Yukito's mind at ease with her cheerful answer. "It's okay, Yukito. If Syaoran's mom and Mitsuki-sensei showed up to help us then that means _someone_ knows where we are and can help us. We'll get out of here, we just have to be patient."

"Thank you," he said, finally giving her something that felt like his old smile.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun were waiting in front of the dilapidated house when everyone else arrived. The house wasn't far away, but it was easy to overlook in the neighborhood. Yue was sure he had flown over this area many times and never seen the house, but with magic anything was possible.

Yue stepped out of the car carefully, not entirely happy about the ride. He tried not to show it, but it bothered him to move so swiftly when not under his own power. It somehow felt wrong. Wait, no, he realized that something _else_ was responsible for the "wrong" feeling. Everyone gathered in a group and looked around, feeling something strange coming.

From behind the house came six huge dogs with glowing red eyes. Yue immediately started pulling energy to create crystal energy shards and attack the enemy. With a swift motion he struck down the first of the possessed animals and brought it down, but he heard Touya gasp behind him. Touya's eyes were wide at first, then began to slip closed as the young man yawned.

Yue cursed under his breath, aware that he couldn't do much more without endangering Touya. He swiftly walked over to Touya and prepared to simply guard him while the others fought his battle. "Sit down and regain your strength. The others should be able to take care of this."

While they watched, Syaoran, Eriol, his two guardians, and Kero defeated the first wave of attackers. They were so intent on their ground-based opponents that they didn't see the attack from above. It was Yue who shouted the warning as about 20 small creatures with bat-like wings flew in to strike. Yue, Touya, Sonomi, and Tomoyo all stood close to Fujitaka who cast a shield with some coaching from Yue. He had never drawn upon his powers as half of Clow deliberately before and found it to be a novel experience. Yue just gave the man a small smile of encouragement and kept his eyes trained for other threats. His magic may have been weakened, but his powers of observation were still intact, and he had been trained for just this sort of combat.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sonomi watched the fight with wide eyes. Syaoran was wielding a huge sword and cutting through opponents who got too close. When they learned not to come near he used the sword to release spells of fire, lightning, and other things. Eriol was using another kind of magic to stop his own opponents with a long staff that was tipped with a sun symbol. The three guardians that could fight were attacking with various beams of magical energy or fire or ice.

It was like nothing she had ever seen before.

The enemies came in waves and every time Sonomi thought it had to end there were more strange creatures attacking them. It was hard to keep track of everything going on, but she noticed that after a couple of creatures rebounded against Fujitaka's shield they were left totally alone. There were times though that the others, the ones fighting, were swarmed by strange magical creatures. Sonomi lost track of their companions multiple times in the combat, but they kept resurfacing with a blast of some magic power that drove the creatures away.

"Kinomoto-san, when is this going to end? We can't stand here all day while Sakura-chan waits for us to save her."

"I know, Sonomi-kun, but I don't know what to do. The creatures keep coming."

"Standing here and being attacked all day is _not_ an option! Can we move from this spot with this magic shield up?"

Fujitaka looked over at Yue and shrugged. "I'm not used to using magic at all."

Yue just shook his head. His piercing gaze made Sonomi want to shiver with the intensity of his scrutiny when he turned on Sonomi. "Shield spells usually stay where they are cast until released. If it were centered on an inanimate object it could be transported, but there are other complications to that."

"Fine then. How fast can a shield be put around us as a group. I refuse to stand here and be useless any more."

Yue's strange cat-like eyes softened slightly. "I know how you feel. I want to be doing something as well. If I could use my magic without relying on Touya's already depleted magic I could put up a shield in an instant. While we're relying on Kinomoto-san though, we can't rely on his speed."

Fujitaka nodded. "I don't have the experience for this. I remember now what it was like to be Clow and cast those spells, but having the memory isn't the same as having the practice and experience."

"Fine then, tell one of _them_ to get over here." She gestured to the combatants with an impatient wave of the hand.

"I can do that much," Yue said with a determination in his voice that matched Sonomi's. Soon they were joined by Keroberus who looked at the group impatiently.

Sonomi hugged her daughter for a moment. "Stay here with Touya-kun and Fujitaka-san. You'll be safe here."

Tomoyo frowned. "I have more experience being--"

"I know, so it's my turn. Please. I'll be perfectly safe, but I want to get this done as quickly as possible."

She noticed that Yue was questioning her with a skeptical glance. "I am going, and you can't stop me. Besides, I have a feeling about where Sakura is, so you can use my help getting to her without using any more of your own magic."

Kero whined, "How come you can tell where she is when I can't?"

Sonomi smiled knowingly. "Because whoever cast the spell obviously didn't think I was a threat?"

Yue and Keroberus looked at each other and nodded. "She has a point," Yue said.

"Why don't we stop debating this and rescue Sakura and Tsukishiro-san?"

The front door to the house suddenly opened wide and a child's voice cried out, "That won't be necessary!" A little boy with light blue hair, cat's ears, and a tail came bounding out and chased off the magical creatures. They scattered and disappeared and soon there were no enemies left to fight. In the shadow of the doorway stood Sakura and Yukito, looking weak but bemused.


	8. Playful Kitten

A/N: Let's pause for some fluff. No? Okay, I'll just add a little fluff to the story here and there mingled with the angst and romance. I'm far from done though. You'll see. Okay, I'll let everyone tell me if I should change the Action/Adventure to something else at this point. That's about as action-y as I get. There will be more, don't get me wrong, but if this belongs somewhere else by all means let me know!

L-chan, thank you! I like to do things that other people wouldn't normally do, so I'm glad you like how I've handled using Sonomi. I hardly see anything about her at all, so when the thought came to me I ran with it. It's good to know it's working. (psst...more Yue/Yuki interaction ahead, only face to face now.)

Silvermoon maru, I pride myself in my originality. ~bows~ Glad to see it's been appreciated. ~grins~ Thank you for reviewing!

Thank you Monique, I update as fast as I can write. I'm not sure how well that shows though...does anyone else notice that I post my rough drafts first and don't go back and change things at all usually? Meep!!

Starquestor--yes. Sakura's hand still hurts, and only an ACT OF AUTHOR can change it. ~evil laughter~ You like my kitten-boy? Adorable, isn't he? I refuse to say anything else about him. UPDATE IS HERE!

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Playful Kitten

Sakura was tired, bloody, in a lot of pain, and her eyes itched from crying, but seeing everyone she loved gathered to rescue her put a smile on her face as genuine as any she had ever worn. Syaoran had been the first to recover from the shock of seeing her again and ran toward her...only to be stopped by the kitten-boy. The child growled at everyone as they approached at first, but stopped himself right away. Sakura just laughed.

"It's okay, Yaku-kun. These are my friends."

The child beamed up at her with total innocence. "I know. I just reacted without thinking when I saw someone run at you. Especially with such a huge sword. You've been cut enough today, Sakura-sama."

She knelt before the child and ruffled his hair fondly. "Thank you, Yaku-kun. Thank you for everything."

An excited cry interrupted their "moment" as Tomoyo approached her best friend. "How adorable! He is so cute!"

Ruby Moon had changed into her false form, Nakuru, and came up to them to fawn over the child also. Sonomi wasn't far behind, and even Eriol and Spinel were grinning at Sakura's companion and approaching to get a closer look. Nearly everyone was enchanted by the young child instantly, just as Sakura and Yukito had been when Yaku had rescued them.

Sakura cheerfully introduced everyone, forgetting her own pain in the thrill of showing off her new friend. She even forgot about being clothed only in Yukito's large pajama top in her distraction until her father had suggested that they all go back to their place so she could get clean and eat something. That's when the weariness finally reached her again and brought her crashing to reality. She wanted to feel the comfort of her dad's arms...or better yet, Syaoran's, but she knew that it would hurt too much right now.

"It has been a--long day. A bath, some food, and a nap. That sounds good to me."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue couldn't take his eyes off of Yukito, stunned to see the boy he knew so intimately for the first time. He forced himself to walk over to his false form, feeling strange and empty, but stopped short. Touya got there first, and Yue felt a stab when he saw how the two embraced so warmly. He turned away quickly, unable to face them further.

That's when he noticed Syaoran and Kero were talking seriously, trying to hang back away from everyone else. They kept casting dark looks toward the rest of the group. No, that wasn't exactly right he realized. They were casting dark looks at the boy-kitten that Sakura had found. Yue remembered that Syaoran almost automatically distrusted everyone with magic at first, and the boy reeked with magical energy--but it wasn't like Keroberus to have a strong dislike for someone without reason. Interesting.

"Sakura-san? Who is this, and how did you find him?" Yue kept his voice neutral with some effort, demanding the answer that everyone else wanted.

She beamed, ruffling Yaku-kun's hair. "He found us actually. Korvath had been his master, and when Korvath was missing and didn't use any magic Yaku-kun came to investigate. He was very happy to see Korvath dead because that meant Yaku-kun was free, so he used his magic to get us past the barrier at the door. Then he walked us past all kinds of scary monsters who obeyed him with just a glance, and now we're free! Isn't it wonderful?"

He wanted to ask for all the details that were missing, but Sonomi was taking charge again, ushering everyone in the car. Yue found himself between Touya and Sakura as they sat, and Sakura beamed up at him. "I am so glad you're safe. I was so worried. I would hug you, but it hurts too much right now. I will hug you later, okay?"

He found tears in his eyes at her sweet and innocent words. "Of course, Sakura-chan." He ruffled her hair, wondering at his own actions. Yesterday he had been too bitter to dream of being so familiar with the Mistress. Today he was too happy to see her to hold back. He even graced her with a small smile as everyone else sat down. Syaoran soon captured her attention though, and Touya was talking to Yuki.

Yue was about to fall back on his usual activity of brooding, but without warning Touya put an arm around his shoulders and Yaku-kun curled up on the floor at Yue's feet. The purring sound from the boy completely disarmed Yue. With a sigh he reached down to stroke the child's hair, then leaned back into Touya's arm. It was almost perfect.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yukito wasn't smiling. Everyone had arrived at the Kinomoto residence with cheer that everything was finally over and it had been accomplished so easily--easy for everyone but Sakura and himself. She was trying to be so cheerful for everyone, reassuring them that they did all they could, but he kept walking in on her with tears streaming down her face and a look of horror in her eyes. Each time he found her like this he wrapped her in his arms and held her until someone else came in. They were the only two who could really understand. Watching it on a video screen couldn't give the others the impact of the true experience. Sakura and Yukito agreed though that they didn't _want_ anyone else to know how terrible it had been. They would keep smiling for everyone else and assuring them that everything would be fine.

Fujitaka and Eriol had disappeared almost totally, occasionally accompanied by others, to look for a way to bring Yukito and Yue back together. The thought filled Yukito with hope...and dread. He felt so empty it was painful, but he was scared to go back to the way things were. No more blacking out without explanation, no more people talking _through_ him, no more strange looks at all--but most of all he wouldn't have to share his painful experience with Yue. He wouldn't have to subject another being to the horrors of what he had been through. The weight of the memories was too much for him...he couldn't imagine burdening someone else with them.

Seeing Yue with his own eyes had solidified that idea. The angelic being was too beautiful and already too sad to spoil with such darkness. Yukito felt especially strange about the magic he had used. He wasn't sure how he really felt about it. On one hand it had made him feel powerful and had given him the ability to save Sakura's life--on the other hand it wasn't his power to have, and he had used it to do something so dark he felt he'd be tainted for eternity.

Touya and Yukito had returned to their home and invited Yue to stay there as well, but all three of them were there only to sleep. Touya and Yuki spend every waking hour either at work or at the Kinomoto house comforting Sakura or at Eriol's helping with research. Yukito had no idea what Yue did with his days. They had been avoiding each other, knowing somehow where the other was and would be. It took three days for Touya to realize what was going on.

Yuki felt arms encircle him from behind as he was fixing dinner. "You have to stop doing that, love."

He smiled innocently up at the taller boy and shrugged. "If I stop now the food will burn, To-ya."

Touya sighed, frowning. "You know what I'm talking about. _He_ knew what I was talking about. Why do you both have to be so difficult?"

The smile stayed in place so easily, even when the bottom dropped out of his stomach and his mouth ran dry. "I don't know what to do about it To-ya. I have thought about talking to him a thousand times the last few days, but I wouldn't know what to say. Don't you have any idea how strange this is?"

"An idea, yes. I think, after all this time, that I know you very well Yuki. Well enough to know that there's more to it than you're letting on."

"Please. I don't want to talk about it. To anyone."

Touya immediately let go and walked across the room, stung. His face was dark and brooding, even when Yukito tried to offer a small smile in apology. "Yuki, this isn't good for you. For either of you. You don't want to talk about it, you don't want to share it with anybody, and you're only hurting yourself by that. _One_ of you has to realize it, but I suppose that's the only example you've had."

Yuki was weeping openly now, but refused to meet Touya's eyes. "I can't do it. I just can't."

"I know." Touya turned abruptly and left. Sakura walked in immediately and they cried with each other yet again, almost burning supper. Yuki had to admit that it didn't make him feel any better anymore. In fact, it was making him feel worse.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Eriol looked proudly at Syaoran as his friend (cute little descendent) held the book up in triumph. "Written in Clow Reed's own hand, and _I_ found the spell before you two!"

The only one in the room who _didn't_ laugh was Yue. As Eriol looked at Sakura's guardian he noted the mixed expression on his face. There were equal parts relief and dread written there, followed by irritation that was clearly directed the fact that Syaoran took so much delight in being the one to find the spell. A moment later Yue said something softly about not being needed anymore and left, unnoticed by everyone but Eriol...and Eriol was the only one who couldn't be spared to go after him.

He put the thought aside and smiled at Syaoran. "Hmm...just goes to show you're thinking more like us every day." He used his most evil smile to taunt the young man, delighting in the ire his teasing brought out.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," Syaoran glared.

"Because you can't think of one," Eriol continued with his teasing.

Syaoran flushed an angry red. "Remind me again why my family seems to think Clow Reed was such a wonderful guy?"

Fujitaka put a hand on both shoulders, smiling first at Eriol, then at Syaoran. "There is still a lot of study and preparation to do at this point. I can't continue to hand off my classes to a substitute, so the two of you should work together on this." Syaoran scowled and Eriol grinned. "We have people counting on this spell, so understanding it as soon as we can is very important."

They both nodded. Eriol decided to hold out his hand. "Truce?"

Syaoran sighed before accepting the proffered hand. "Truce."

With that done, the two of them worked together perfectly, scaring the occasional visitor who dared enter the study.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue had officially run out of distractions. While he had been studying with the others he had been able to take his mind off of the emptiness, but now that the spell had been found he was just in the way again.

__

I miss you, Yukito. His soul whispered the words upon the wind, but his only reply was a shiver of apprehension and the feel of his other self closing himself off further. He wanted to be offended, he wished he didn't understand, but he had been doing the same thing to Yuki for years.

Suddenly hazel cat's eyes met his own silver gaze and a fluffy light blue kitten plopped down in Yue's lap. The kitten curled up and started purring at first, then started rubbing his head up to Yue's hand, demanding petting. The kitten became more and more demanding and the purring reached almost deafening levels. Finally the kitten jumped up and began pouncing anything that moved. The moment had evolved from comforting to playful so gradually that Yue didn't realize he had been cheered up until he heard the sound of his own laughter. The noise startled him and the kitten and they both jumped, but the kitten quickly pounced a lock of Yue's hair and caused more laughter to bubble forth. The kitten stood on its hind legs to bat the ends of a lock that ended further up and finally fell on its back. Yue laughed so hard that tears leaked from his eyes and he had to look away to catch his breath.

When Yue looked back the kitten was slowly transforming into a more human shape. He realized that this was the child that had rescued Yuki and Sakura. The smile stayed in place as he watched the transformation, but it soon became evident that the change would not end at the form they had all met the child in. In fact, soon it was evident that this wasn't a child at all.

"I've been wanting to do that since the first time I saw you," Yaku said with a gleam in his eye and a lopsided grin. He was finally a young man with only cat's eyes to give away his feline nature. "When I started talking to everyone else I realized it was my sacred duty to get you to laugh. I just didn't know it would be so easy."

Yue sighed, but he decided that he didn't want to let go of this playful moment just yet. "Hundreds of years working on my reputation as being dignified, and you have to ruin it in a few minutes. How could you?" He played at being distressed, but he knew that his eyes gave away the smile he still felt inside.

"Easily," the young man admitted. "And with pride."

They shared a chuckle.

"Your name is Yaku?"

The other stood and bowed with a flourish. "Yakusoku Shima Hayashi," he intoned formally before the smile resurfaced. "That's too much of a mouthful though. Not nearly as playful."

Yue nodded, but his smile was starting to slip from his face into his usual neutral expression again. "How old are you, Yaku-san?"

"Too old," the other admitted with a wry grin. "About a century subjective time. Much longer all total. I try not to think about it. Most of it I wasn't nearly as happy as I am now, and now is all that matters."

Yue thought about that for a while. He used to be much happier and was lonely now, so in a way he had been mirroring that philosophy. In a way. Something within him wanted to dispute the boy, but the thoughts flew from his mind as Yaku suddenly...pounced. He gave Yue a hug and a kiss full on the lips before running off. "More people to cheer up, see you later!"

Yue watched him scamper off with a bemused smile. He was still wearing that expression when Touya walked up, hands in his hips and exasperation etched permanently on his face.

~~~~~@~~~~~

What the _hell?_ Touya couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had left Yukito with the thought that his lover was turning more into Yue, but now Yue was looking more like Yuki. As soon as the moon guardian saw Touya a touch of sadness returned, but it was replaced by a mischievous glint in an instant. Without hesitation Yue suddenly...pounced. Touya found that his lips had been met full on by Yue's lips and arms had wrapped themselves around him. It was pleasant, but very out of character.

"Yue, what's wrong?"

"Why does something have to be wrong?" His tone was almost seductive and at any other time Touya would have shut up and counted his blessings.

"I don't know...you're suddenly not acting like yourself. I've never seen you like this before."

"I'm happy now, and now is all that matters."

Touya couldn't believe his ears. "The hell it does! Right now Yukito is _suffering_ and won't accept any help! He's suffering now because the past hurts too much and the future terrifies him. I thought you, of all people, would understand that and want to help him. It seems I have seriously underestimated you."

"Wait, wait, no," Yue shook his head, trying to clear it. "That's what Yaku-kun just said. It didn't seem right, but then he left suddenly and you showed up and--" A more normal expression had returned finally. "I'm sorry for that, I don't know what came over me. What do you need?"

Touya refused to let himself regret fending off Yue's affection. "You need to talk to Yuki. Please. I'm worried to death--about both of you."

"He doesn't want to deal with me," Yue said, spreading his hands helplessly. "He can feel where I am and he avoids me when I come near. I haven't exactly been wanting to push the issue either. This is hard for both of us to face."

"Avoiding the issue won't solve anything. Something is poisoning Yuki's soul, and I can feel it. He's acting like...well he's...damn it! He's acting just like you. Every time I tried to help you, you avoided me so well it's scary, and now Yuki is doing the same thing. It has to stop! For both of you! Now!"

Yue's face went perfectly neutral. Touya felt a thrill of fear for a moment as he remembered the first time he saw that blank face framing silent eyes when the Judgment had awoken the Judgment Maker. He had been yelling at a being who was very powerful and could toss him around like a rag doll without lifting a finger. Then Yue's eyes fluttered closed and he bowed his head. Touya took a deep breath and reassured himself that no matter who else Yue was, he was also an aspect of his best friend and boyfriend. He was only doing something now that he had wanted to do for years. He was trying to heal wounds that had been crying to be tended for so long, and he had his golden opportunity now to heal both halves of the man he loved. No matter how much it would hurt.

Yue finally looked up, resigned. "You're right. Let's go. This needs to be done before I lose my resolve again, but you have to stay with us. There are a few things I need to say that you won't want to hear, but you need to."

"I had a feeling," Touya said cryptically and turned to walk to their house.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yukito lay curled up in bed, wondering if Touya even planned on coming home that night. He had never left like that with everything unresolved, and Yuki was terrified of being abandoned. He was shivering with emotion, tossing and turning in bed, then finally curling up in a ball again. He couldn't cry anymore, he was exhausted and needed to sleep, but he was too wound up and emotional to sleep. He didn't know how long he was laying there alone when he felt that slight pull that meant his other half was drawing near. It was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now, but he was too tired to get out of bed and find somewhere else to sleep. At least Yue had been good about sleeping in one of the other bedrooms and not tried to intrude at all with Yuki and Touya's routine. Yuki hadn't known what to expect, but he knew that all those years Yue had been watching everything between them anyway. What was the difference after all?

That thought did it. He ran from the bedroom and into the shower, turning the water on as hot as he could stand it. He stood under the stream, hoping against hope that he would relax somehow under the warmth, but every few minutes a shiver would quake through his body. Eventually he slid to the tile floor and let the sobs take his body, hoping that Touya and Yue were already asleep. He didn't notice the water grow gradually cooler until it was like ice running over his body. He didn't notice the door open because he was crying so hard.

The water was turned off and arms wrapped themselves around him. It didn't even matter who was holding him right now. He didn't know how to survive with so much pain, he was never meant to suffer on his own. It was too much for him alone, so he clung to the one who was holding him so close, holding on for his life.

Eventually Touya's voice drifted from the doorway. "Will he be okay?"

Yukito's fears were confirmed when it was Yue's velvety tone that replied. "I don't know yet. I hope so."

Yukito had never hated himself so much as he did that moment. Yet...he couldn't bring himself to let go.


	9. Don't Touch Me

A/N: Evil Tam plans...my twists and turns now have twists and turns. If you think you know how this will end--you might be dead wrong. What is real? What isn't? Why are we so far from the end when we've already killed off the bad guy? Why did Yue pounce Touya??? Can you survive long enough for these questions to be answered? I swear, it will all make sense soon...even the end of this chapter! hehehe

Silvermoon Maru: Oh, don't worry, I'll try to fix the "something missing" syndrome. See…Sakura scene to start things off and explain why she's being glossed over--temporarily. I haven't forgotten. ~grin~

Kira: You are not the ONLY one who wants to be Touya. ~grins~ Thank you for reading this, even though it is so dark!

L-chan: I'm evil. Pure and simple, I am an evil author. I delight in tormenting characters and then leaving them in high-emotion spots just to further torment my readers--and to get them to come back for more. ~evil laugh~ Hey, whatever works.

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Silent Eyes

**__**

Don't Touch Me

Sakura was sitting on the couch, staring off into space. She found herself doing that more and more lately when she thought no one was around. Something tickled her cheek and when she moved to brush it aside she realized her finger met moisture. That had been happening more often lately too. She stared at her finger curiously, watching light reflect off of the tear that rested there.

She felt an arm drape around her shoulder comfortingly. "Sakura-chan, you can't keep it all bottled up forever. You have to let it out and talk about it, or some day it will be too much to handle on your own and you'll explode."

"I'm fine. I don't want anybody to worry about me because I'm fine."

"Is that why you can't stop crying?"

She put on a sunny smile and wiped away her tears. "See? I just stopped. I can stop crying at any time."

"That's not what I mean."

"I'm just worried about Yukito-san. That's all. He's been so depressed and I'm worried about him."

"What if I told you that he said the same thing about you? You two are all smiles all the time except to each other, and neither of you are fooling anyone."

"Then I'll just try harder! I don't want anybody to worry about me. I'll be fine!"

"You're not fine. You need to talk about what happened--"

"Nothing happened! Something almost happened, but nothing really happened, so there's nothing to talk about! I just need to stop feeling sorry for myself and get on with life! That's all!"

"Sakura-chan, _what_ almost happened. Can you even say it?"

"Nothing! Now stop trying to push me! I don't need your help, everything is fine, I just need everyone to stop telling me how I'm supposed to feel. You have no idea how I feel, so stop telling me how I should act about it!"

Sakura ran out of the room, more angry than ever. She was even more determined that she wouldn't talk to anyone even though she wasn't sure why Yakusoku-kun's concern should make her so upset. He was only trying to help after all, right?

~~~~~@~~~~~

Touya grabbed a towel and carefully wrapped it around Yukito's slim body. With another he dried off his love, worrying about how cold the chill water had left him. "Yue, your robes are wet. Why don't you go change and I'll get Yuki dressed and then we can all talk."

Both of them looked a little frightened of letting go of the other, then they suddenly pulled away from each other as if burned. Touya shook his head sadly, watching as Yue left so quickly and Yuki stared after him with pain filled eyes. "Touya, I don't want to talk. I don't want any of this."

"Hush. It's okay. Maybe you could just listen, is that okay?"

"Why are you making me do this?"

"I'm scared to death Yuki. I don't want to lose you, and I'm terrified that if this goes on I will. I love you, and I want to help you. You keep shutting me out, you keep running away, and soon you'll be running away so fast I'll never be able to catch you again. I can't live with that."

Touya watched the pain dance in Yuki's eyes, saw him try to refute the statement, but realize that he had indeed been shutting everyone and everything out. Some day that would have to include his love. He couldn't open that part of him that hurt so much to anyone, and they both knew that if Yuki continued keeping everything from him it would kill their relationship in the end. Until now they had shared everything. The last few days they had shared nothing.

"To-ya, I'm nothing without you. I'd never run away from you, but please, don't make me do this." Yuki's eyes ran over with tears and his face held so much pain that Touya couldn't bear to look anymore.

"Yuki, I will stay by your side forever and I will always support you and help you, but just this once I'm putting my foot down. This needs to be done."

Yuki was pliant as a rag doll while Touya guided him to their room and gently dressed him with infinite patience. The soft and familiar pajamas seemed to bring Yukito back to the present and a hint of concern touched his face. "To-ya?"

"What's the matter, Yuki?"

"These aren't my bunny pajamas. I know they're clean, I washed them earlier and…they always make me feel so happy and secure." Touya noted the hint of a blush that crossed Yuki's cheeks for the first time in what seemed like forever. "So, could you get me my bunny pajamas?"

"They weren't in the drawer, I looked. I thought, considering the talk we need to have, and since they're your favorite...."

"But they should have been right there, on top. I put them there myself."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't find them."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue smiled softly as he fingered the dark blue fabric. The familiar white rabbit pattern across it had once been his bane as he was forced by his false form to wear the silly thing so many times. Now he had to admit to himself that it really was his favorite, and he couldn't think of anything else he wanted to wear right now.

His robes were carefully draped across the chair to dry, looking abandoned lying there without him. The clothing was as magical as he was and he was quite aware of how the pale colors and the pure white gave his appearance the same mystic quality of the moon. They were formal, comfortable, and flowed with every gesture he made--but they were his alone and right now he just wanted to connect with what he had lost. His castle that had protected him from the prying eyes of the world--his yuki usagi, snow bunny, who had given him the ability to show love to those he had been afraid to get close to.

The pajamas were worn just enough to be softer than any new fabric could be. They smelled of fabric softener and some other gentle smell that reminded Yue of baking cookies. As he slipped them on he felt intense joy and sorrow that he could never explain to anyone. He was forgetting the memories that made these pajamas so dear to Yuki, but the intense emotion of comfort and security couldn't be erased.

Yue had just buttoned the last button when he heard a knock at the door. "Yue?"

He jumped guiltily at the sound of Yuki's voice, but turned with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Yue, you're wearing my bunny pajamas?"

Yue blinked, realizing for the first time that Yukito would probably want to have been the one wearing them under the circumstances. He searched Yuki's face for signs of anger or hurt, hoping that there would be a possibility of mending such a terrible breach. The expression on Yuki's face was completely unreadable for agonizingly long seconds as the only physical reaction a widening of his eyes. Yue decided to apologize and change, feeling like the worst sort of intruder, when Yuki's face broke out in a grin and laughter bubbled forth.

"You look so adorable," Yukito giggled.

Well, if Yuki wasn't offended about the theft of the pajamas, Yue decided not to be offended about getting laughed at. Still, to be sure..."You're not mad?"

"I thought I would be." He gestured to the pale blue pajamas with dark blue trim that Yue had always preferred--until now. Yuki had hardly ever worn them though--they didn't _mean_ as much, even though they were much more dignified. "I don't think anyone could look at you like that and stay mad about anything."

Yue sighed. "I used to worry so much about appearing dignified at all times." He walked over and placed a delicate hand on Yuki's shoulder and graced him with a smile that he knew could melt pavement. "You've been a bad influence on me. Thank you."

Yue meant to place a kiss on Yukito's cheek, but the other man thwarted his plan by shifting to meet the lips with his own. The kiss held for a few precious moments, then they pulled back. Yuki looked so vulnerable that Yue's heart nearly broke, then withdrew again, turning away as if ashamed. An arrow of ice shot through Yue's heart at that moment and he didn't know what he could do any more. There was love there, but there was also intense fear. "I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry Yue. I don't understand anything anymore, even myself. I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop...."

"Shhhh--it's okay. That's one of the things we need to talk about. All three of us."

"Okay, I think I can do this now. I'm ready."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Kinomoto Fujitaka walked in to his home, finally, weary and ready for a long night of dreamless sleep. A touch of guilt hit him as he thought of his daughter and how he hadn't been there for Sakura over the past few days like she needed, but he was trying to help in a more important way. Only he, Eriol, and maybe Yue knew that they were trying to save her life still.

He ran a hand through his hair as the worries started eating away at him again. The next full moon would be pivotal--that's when they would be able to bring Yue and Yukito back together--if both of them were willing. If not, or if the spell didn't work, then a sort of magical feedback would start within Sakura, slowly ripping her soul from her body as the moon waned again. Yue, Kero-chan, and the cards could survive if they were sealed in the book again. Yukito would survive as a normal human being. Sakura would die.

The division was already starting to pull Sakura apart actually. He could see it in her eyes when she thought no one was looking. A great deal of that dark and staring look came from the horror she faced, but the distance she was putting around her, even with Sonomi and Tomoyo, was from the pulling of her soul to let go of everyone and everything--including herself in the end.

"Ah, Nadeshiko, what if I'm not strong enough? What if I can't do this?"

She showed herself before him, smiling reassuringly. "I will watch over her and care for her. You know as well as I do that death is not the end."

"I just don't want to lose her," he cried, voice rough with emotion.

"Shhh, my love, it will be okay. Somehow it will be okay. Just go to bed, get some sleep, and have some faith in those who love our daughter. With everyone working to help like this everything will be fine."

"I hope so..."

"Wait, there's something I didn't foresee, something is wro--"

She suddenly vanished as footfalls came down the hall from the living room. An enthusiastic Yaku-kun came running down the hall and ran straight in to Fujitaka's arms. "Oops! Sorry! Didn't see you there. I just had some extra energy I wanted to run off. It's part of my cat affinity you know."

Fujitaka was too stunned to move and Yaku didn't even try to pull away from the arms that had caught him for balance. Suddenly Yaku was in his adult form and wrapping arms around the shocked man. "I--I should go to bed. It's been a long day," Fujitaka finally stammered.

Yaku purred and his eyes glowed with power and passion. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, love. And you're taking me with you."

They stood there for a full minute while Fujitaka tried to do the right thing and shove the boy away, but the crashing loneliness broke against the walls of his heart like a tidal wave. He tried to remember why he couldn't do this, why his heart wasn't in it, why he shouldn't just kiss those inviting lips since they were slowly making their own way to his own. He couldn't remember a thing. He could only lift the boy into his arms and carry him to his bedroom, kissing him the whole time. He knew it was wrong, and part of him mourned for what was about to happen, but soon he was fully taken by the actions and physical sensations, unable to break Yakusoku's thrall.


	10. Words Both Said and Unspoken

Author's Note: Okay, okay, last chapter was really slow. I know it. This story has been giving me problems--I think that's part of the reason I dove in to Solace with both feet. This chapter is the necessary TALK. Then there will be more amusing acts and more terror and more disturbing things to make your skin crawl. Enjoy.

Kira: How much can I thank you for reviewing? You are AWESOME. After this chapter you might *REALLY* be wishing you were Touya. ~evil grin~

Starquestor: You aren't supposed to like Yaku-kun. You'll see why very soon...and I don't mean just seduction. I don't want to give anything away, but this is just the beginning. Thank you for pointing out where I'm lagging--I'll try to fix it here!

L-chan: The evil has just begun. I'm glad you appreciate it, and I hope this chapter is worthy. =)

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Silent Eyes

**__**

Words Both Said and Unspoken

When Yue and Yukito walked into the living room they were faced with the intense, piercing gaze of a very determined looking Touya. He blinked a few times in surprise at the moon guardian in the bunny pajamas, but seemed to come to terms with the idea rather quickly as he gestured at the large cushions on the floor. "We'll be more comfortable talking where we're all facing each other, so it was either this or the table."

Yue crossed over to Touya and placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is a good idea."

Yukito just sat down, feeling lost and like he was drowning. It felt surreal, like a dream, and everything since he had woken up in the cell with Sakura was just part of a strange nightmare that just had to end. Yet, it was _his_ nightmare, and his nightmare alone to suffer through. If he shared it with anyone else it would be true, real, and a matter for everyone. He wouldn't wish this on anyone.

Touya and Yue sat, completing the circle and filling Yukito with a feeling of fulfilling warmth and cold emptiness at the same time. He was torn in the middle between reaching out to them both to kiss away the nightmare or running far and fast away from them forever. Instead he sat still, looking at his hands and wondering which action he would really pick if unrestrained.

"Tonight Syaoran found the spell to rejoin us," Yue announced without preamble.

Touya gasped in shock. "What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Yuki smiled as he imagined the irritated glance Yue would shoot at Touya for the interruption. Then he realized he wasn't imagining it--he was somehow seeing it without looking. His hands clenched in fists as he tried to shut everything out and stop himself yet again from knowing things he shouldn't. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, trying to block things out and also blot at the tears that were forming.

"When will it happen?" Yukito knew that Touya and Yue had continued to talk, but he had no idea what they said. They must have been arguing, but it didn't matter. Yukito wanted to hear about the spell. He needed to hear about how his life was going to change forever--again.

Yue just stopped what he was saying and nodded. "They're studying it right now. I recognize the book Syaoran-kun found it in though, and I vaguely remember reading something about it. At the time I never dreamed it would apply to me." He paused, looking off in the distance. Yukito searched those eyes, wondering if he got the same look on his face when thinking something so serious. It was a chilling thought, and one he didn't want to explore too deeply. "It will have to be done by the full moon though. Probably that night actually."

"Less than two weeks. That's not very much time. Does it have to be then?" Yukito wasn't thinking about it being enough time to prepare for those who would do the spell--he was thinking about how much time he had left to be his own person.

"Yes, it must be then."

"Why? Would it be so bad if we left things the way they are?" The smile Yuki gave Yue was sad, but a little hopeful.

Yue leaned over and gently caressed Yukito's cheek with so much love and concern that it broke his heart to be on the receiving end of it. "This must be so hard for you. It was never meant to be like this, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that I distanced myself so much from you. It must seem a great gift to you to not have this stranger watching your every step and eavesdropping on your most personal moments, but that's not who I am or what I've been doing."

"But now--now we can explore being different people! Yue, haven't you ever wanted to exist without being tied to me? Without having to hide behind me and find out for yourself if people love you or just the mask you're wearing?"

"Touché, Yukito-san." Yue winced as if struck and looked toward Touya with pleading eyes for a moment. "It's tempting, but there is a cost that I _can not_ pay attached to that possibility. I don't think you would be willing to pay that cost either--but it only makes this all more difficult."

"What? What are you talking about," Touya demanded, sensing something very wrong.

"The Mistress--Sakura-sama...this is hard for me to even contemplate.... If Yukito and I do not become one being again the magic that tore us apart will tear her apart--and kill her in the process."

"No!" Touya and Yuki's voices rang out as one in their shock and denial. This was worse than either had imagined.

~~~~~@~~~~~

"Sakura! I'm serious! I don't like that guy."

"Kero-chan, I'm sorry he keeps beating you at video games, but that's no reason to hate him."

"That's not the reason."

Sakura looked too drained to deal with it and a bit annoyed that Kero was pestering her. Kero looked frustrated, but more than that he was worried. He finally flew over to her in his false form and landed on her shoulder, patting her reassuringly. "It's okay. We'll figure out something. I'll keep my eye on Yaku-kun, and if I'm wrong I'll apologize. If I'm right, we'll worry about that then. I just have a bad feeling about this, but I've been wrong before."

"Everybody else likes him, I don't see why you don't."

"Yeah, pretty strange." He laughed a little, but to Kero it was no longer about the newest member of their group. Sakura was acting strange, and it was more than he could attribute to what he had seen her go through as Korvath's prisoner. He vowed to himself to just sit back and support her, not judging her or bringing her his problems and worries. She had enough on her plate.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yue saw the questions and denials building in the eyes of the young men before him, but he still had a lot of explaining to do. He held a hand up, waiting for them to settle down and be ready to listen to more they would not want to hear. There were prices to be paid for saving Sakura's life, and Yue alone could not pay them no matter how much he wished he could.

"It will be easiest if I just say the rest of this without stopping and say it plainly. We might not succeed, and even if we do it will be at a great cost. Yukito, you and I both need to want to merge. No reservations at all, no regrets, or the spell won't do a thing. And, when that happens--when we are merged it will be--it will be total. We will be one person."

Yue bowed his head, barely breathing as the silence became almost tangible. He couldn't bear the silence, but he couldn't bear to break it either. He let the weight of his words rest on their shoulders now, no longer needing to bear it alone. It was both a relief and another burden as he waited for some sort of response. He finally looked up to take in the expressions on their faces.

Touya looked sad and concerned, but resolved. As his eyes met Yue's he nodded, understanding the necessity and accepting it with the weight it deserved. Both sets of eyes then turned to Yukito and took in the shock and horror that lay bare upon his innocent face.

Yukito noticed the scrutiny after a moment and made a swipe at the tears that were streaming from his eyes. "So. To save Sakura's life I must sacrifice my own."

Touya jumped to wrap Yuki in his arms. "No! That's not what it means at all. Right Yue?"

Yue rose gracefully and walked to the window, looking out over the darkened garden kissed by the light of the stars. The slender piece of waxing moon had already set, leaving the world to its own devices to find light. Yue, feeling that the position of the moon was symbolic of this moment, knew that his words would not give much light to the two men he loved most in this world. "To-ya, that's exactly what it means to him right now. Yuki will be making a lot more of a sacrifice than I will."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yakusoku perched on the edge of the bed, grinning as he listened to the music of the contented snores of his latest conquest. He had considered taking one of other non-humans first, but this played out fine too. People were less likely to notice that the teacher was acting a little different, but he also had the most respect in the group. He was a father figure to the whole group, not just his children. This was Yaku's key to the power he sought. The sorcerers and magical beings he could not control would die before they could stop him. It was a perfect plan, and no one would be able to figure it out in time to stop him.

He slipped into a more neutral form--the one that looked child-like because it sat in the middle of his extremes. With a satisfied grin he hopped off the bed and stalked down the hall to Sakura's room. This more innocent looking form granted him access to places that he otherwise wouldn't be welcomed, including Sakura's bedroom. He tapped on the door gently, used to sleeping in there at the foot of her bed.

A sleepy Sakura opened the door. "Yaku-kun! I was worried about you."

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I was busy unwinding and got sidetracked. I hope I didn't worry you too much?"

"No, not too much." She looked, as always, very happy to see him. She was too trusting. He liked that in a person.

"I'm sleepy, Sakura-chan. Go to bed and I'll keep your feet warm through the night."

She opened the door wider, letting Yaku in to rest. She smiled brightly, but absently used her left hand to close the door behind him. She gasped in pain, almost crying as the burning started again. This, also, was according to Yaku's plan, but he realized that it was time to move on to the next step of the plan and bind her heart and power further with his own.

"Your hand still hurts, Sakura-chan? I am so sorry my former master did that to you."

"It's getting better," she lied.

"Are you sure? I was just thinking--I remember fetching a spell for my former master that could help you. I would have offered sooner if I knew you were still suffering."

"You--you can do that? Really?"

Without another word he reached his child-like hands around her nearly adult left hand and removed the pain spell. He then replaced it with a different kind of energy that would allow him to tap into her soul and power more easily. Her eyes glowed with happiness as the pain left and was replaced by an indescribable pleasure. She wrapped him in a huge hug, full of gratitude for what he had done.

Without another word the pair went to bed and drifted to sleep. Yaku looked forward to capturing this girl's soul in a little less than a month--it was a happy soul that would give him the air of innocence he liked to maintain and a powerful soul that would give him all the magic he needed.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Touya held Yuki even tighter in his arms as the smaller man began to tremble with emotion. Yue's words had held no comfort for this situation and left Touya at a loss for how to help his love. "Yuki, I love you no matter what. You know that, don't you?"

Yuki's words were soft, but he offered Touya a smile to go with the reply. "Of course I know that. I love you too, To-ya, and I hope I love you forever."

"You will," Yue assured him, still looking out the window at the dark of night. There was now a kinder expression on the moon guardian's face though, and less distance could be read in those eyes.

"I could never take Sakura from you, To-ya. I would never let her die if I had a say in it. She's the closest I'll ever have to a sister, and I love her for that."

"I'm not worried about that, Yuki. I'm worried about you. I know you'd never let Sakura die, any more than I would. That is not the issue anymore." Touya poured all of his concern and caring into those words, holding Yuki close and finishing with a kiss on the top of his head.

Then Yuki sighed and pulled away. "This just isn't like me. I've been moody and depressed. I've been losing sight of the good things in my life. Even when my parents died--damn it. I haven't slipped like that in years. Why did I forget that I had no parents?"

Yue walked over to explain. "The funeral is based on a very real memory...the memory of my own parent in a sense. It was a memory that was created, but it's also real. Now, all of those memories that fleshed out your personality, are more real to you. They allow you to function as a separate being from me. It's all still magic, but it's independent."

"How many of these memories are based on real things, just changed a little?"

"All of them, Yuki. I may be very creative deep down where I don't let anyone see, but when I worked on creating a personality for my false form, that person had to be somewhat compatible with me...especially the true me. I told you once, we're a lot more alike than I wanted to admit."

Touya smiled. He knew this had to be coming sooner or later. Long ago he had seen past what was hidden to realize that they were both different sides of the same coin. They may show faces as different as night and day, but Touya knew that the two had met in too many places, most of them deep down where no one else could see.

Yuki shook his head sadly. "I don't know how we could be so similar. We're different in so many ways."

That's when Touya could no longer hold in his laugh. "Yuki, open your eyes. Why else would Yue be wearing your favorite pajamas? Since you two have separated you have each started acting more like the other to fill the void because you are the same."

Yue nodded. "That's the deep dark secret I was trying to keep--and it got out of hand. I didn't want anyone, especially you Yuki, to know. If you knew you would lose your identity and I would lose that part of me who was so happy and innocent and loved. That illusion needs to be shattered now, or the spell will never work and Sakura will die. If that happens it is all my fault, and I will have failed as her guardian."

Yuki trembled, pulling away from Touya to walk across the room. "So, I'm not real. I never was real. Those were all lies to get me to calm down and accept what could not be changed."

"Never," Touya denied vehemently. "You are real, and you will continue to be real. I can't explain, but I have never lied to you. I think I have realized more about you and your nature in these last few days though, and I love you more and more for it."

Yue walked over to Yuki and cupped his counterpart's face in his hands. "As long as you think of me as a total stranger, the spell will not work. Yet, a week ago you said you wanted to get to know me better so I would no longer be a stranger that you'd have to be a mask for."

"So much has happened since then," Yuki interrupted, shaking his head.

"Is that what you're afraid of? I will not reject you over anything that happened in the last few days. After what I've been through I couldn't do that to anyone--"

"Isn't that your job? To judge others?"

Yue just shook his head, still holding Yuki and looking deep into his amber eyes. "To judge a new Master, yes. Not you. Never you. Tsukishiro Yukito, I love you and could never judge you. Please, give me the same chance."

He blinked, then smiled sadly at Yue. "How can I? I know nothing about you."

"Let's change that, shall we?"

Touya felt a thrill of hope as the two aspects of his love smiled at each other with the same small smile. They stood like that, lost in each other's eyes, for a small eternity...and a moment before it happened Touya knew they were going to kiss. As time seemed to slow before that he wondered if he would be jealous or angry or hurt as he watched. He wondered if he could really be that petty under these circumstances.

Their lips met.

He shivered to see it, discovering that he only felt awe to be privileged to witness something so beautiful and right. Every other emotion was set aside for a time as the love of his life kissed--himself? The mechanics didn't matter, it only mattered that the love of his life was finding peace finally. They belonged together, one way or another, and Touya could only appreciate that and find peace with that himself.

The kiss ended, leaving the atmosphere in the room charged with the energy of it. Yuki and Yue pulled apart slightly, holding each other still and turning to Touya. _Now_ he felt insecure to see such perfection together, wondering if he really had a place with them. Yet--he felt the slight pull of magic and found them standing wordless in front of him, looking up at _him_ with love, adoration, and an emotional need to match his own. The three of them wrapped each other up in loving arms--and in Yue's case, wings--standing there reassuring the fears and insecurities of the others as well as they could until words became necessary again.


	11. Ebb and Flow

A/N: I'm SO sorry it took me this long to update this! I had a touch of writer's block and ended up cutting a scene from last chapter because I didn't like the direction it was going. (If you read it with two more kitten type people...Sorry! They're gone. One was a shameless self-insert, and I *really* didn't want to go there.) So, for my reviewers, thank you for sticking with me through my dry spell while I ran off to write something else. I'll owe an even bigger apology when Generations gets updated.... ~sigh~

Silvermoon Maru: I love making new friends! IM me or e-mail me, I love the reviews you've sent me. =)

Kira: Can't fool me, you *do* want to be Touya. Well, you probably won't at the end of this chapter....

Peacewish: Yes, we have another battle ahead of us, though the aftermath of the first *is* an important part of what I wanted to put here. I also swear I will have a review on your story soon. Very soon. I would have had it days ago if not for ff.net going wonky. ~glares~

Others, thanks for the reviews! I appreciate it! Thank you for reading!!! ~hugs~

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Ebb and Flow

Touya lay on his back, feeling the warmth of the sunlight creep across his skin. It crept closer and closer to his face, to his eyes, and finally struck him with daggers of light between the slits of his eyelids. His automatic response was to curl up with Yuki and bury his face in his love's hair. He started to turn over, but his body came back with some strange information. He couldn't decide which direction to turn. The sun continued taunting him with the painful brightness while he tried to figure out why he couldn't decide which way to turn.

Well, that was easy. He couldn't remember which side Yuki was on. To know that he'd have to open his eyes, and that was not an option with the sun glaring at him.

Wait, why couldn't he remember? Usually it was an easy decision to make. Yuki was right there after all. Always. They always cuddled while sleeping.

They were cuddling right now after all.

Wait.

There was that comfortable weight on both arms.

Both?

His eyes flew open in shock, blinding him momentarily and starting a small headache behind his eyes. He groaned, trying to sit up to get away from that hideous morning sunshine, but he was effectively pinned in place. He blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the accursed light. The sight that met him was well worth it.

Curled up on his left was Yukito. His short gray hair glowed silver in the direct sunlight. The strands were so fine that many of them spread out, sticking up, giving him an unearthly halo around his innocent sleeping face. His pale skin looked luminous when touched by the sun, especially pressed up to Touya's own darker skin. Every curve, every angle, every inch of the body pressed up to him was familiar from long years of loving exploration. One arm was resting across Touya's chest, fingers entwined with those of another hand from the other side.

That brought Touya's eyes to his right where Yue was pressed against him, mirroring his other half. Yue's hair was loose, flowing everywhere and glowing a bright white in the sun. His skin was even paler than Yuki's, his body was both familiar and new to Touya's wandering eyes. Yue's face was just as sweetly innocent while relaxed in sleep, making the two of them more similar than ever. Touya's eyes kept flicking back and forth between the two. He was almost afraid to breathe too heavily for fear of waking up from this perfect dream.

He finally laid his head back, tightening his arms around the two of them slightly in affection. All three of them were sprawled together in naked perfection, just loving each other and being loved. His mind couldn't quite grasp how incredibly lucky he felt at this moment, let alone last night. Last night had been mind shattering. Last night had been indescribable. Touya thought he would never be the same again.

And after the full moon he would never have this again.

He cursed his selfish thought as he had it. They needed it. They were both self-destructing without each other. More than that though, Sakura needed it. Dividing them like that was killing her, and no amount of selfishness could make that price remotely worth paying.

Yue and Yuki woke up at almost the exact moment. Amethyst and amber met deep brown in twin gazes of contentment mixed with satisfaction. The two halves of the same self then exchanged a glance and returned to meet Touya's gaze with mischief. Yuki moved to close the curtain, and they did their best to put an eternity of love and desire in to the short time they had left.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura stared into the mirror. It was almost as if a stranger were looking back at her even though it was the same reflection as always. She somehow felt detached from who she was seeing though. She wasn't feeling real anymore.

She ran the brush through mousy brown hair and almost shuddered. So plain. If it weren't for the magic she'd be just like everyone else. That secret was a burden and a blessing. She had something special, she was unique and could do wonderful things. She had been through experiences that no one else would dream could be true. Yet--she had been targeted and tortured because of her gifts.

She pulled bandages off of her wrists carefully, trying to ignore the maddening itch of healing skin. It was a relief to finally be able to do this on her own again. Both hands moved freely, without the intense pain that had flared up erratically since her capture. It seemed that Yakusoku had really and truly been able to take away that pain. It was the longest she had been without that pain.

She turned to the foot of her bed to thank him, but no one was there, not even the adorable kitten form that Sakura loved so much. He always slept as a kitten, purring as he curled up across one of her legs. He must have woken up and left silently as usual.

Kero-chan was snoring away in his drawer and Sakura thought about waking him and talking to him. Then she remembered how strange he was acting last night. He didn't understand. He didn't trust the one person who had done so much for her the last few days.

Actually, since the rescue she had been left alone mostly. As soon as she was safe that had been it. Everyone was oh so concerned about Yue and Yukito, but what about her?

What about Sakura?

Almost raped, exposed to everyone and tortured in their own little peep show, but everyone scrambled to figure out what had happened to Yue and Yukito rather than deal with anything she was feeling. Was it that bad that no one else could stand to face it either?

Was she that unworthy of their attention that the only one that cared was the one who knew her the least?

Even her boyfriend, even Syaoran.

Abandoned.

Sakura continued to stare into the mirror and almost was almost glad that looking at that image didn't feel like looking at herself anymore. If no one else could face her, she was glad she didn't really have to face herself either.

~~~~~@~~~~~

It was getting harder to shut them out. The spirits of the dead. There was nothing Yaku could do about them, nothing he could do to help them, but they haunted him anyway. There had been a time when "conquering" an enemy wizard would have kept them at bay for a month without effort. It had been only a week since his tryst with Fujitaka and he could feel his "bubble" of safety being pushed against.

"You're all dead. Leave me alone." He couldn't see any of them, couldn't really feel any of them, he could just feel their energy robbing his own as they tried to come closer.

He ran, shifting into his kitten form as he dashed away so that he could just run without having to hand over explanations. He needed to find...needed to find...needed to find a new source of magic. He grinned as he felt what he was looking for. Moon energy. Yue.

This time he wouldn't play games with the guardian. Not to say he wouldn't be playful, but this time Yue was alone and his lovers were at work. There would be no teasing. There would be no way his prey would escape. Yaku's sanity depended on it. He needed to keep out the ghosts.

"Yue."

When Yue turned around he was smiling, looking happy. Yaku purred.

"I wasn't expecting to see you...what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you'd ask me that."

~~~~~@~~~~~

"No!" Yukito was eating lunch in the crowded restaurant when a feeling of dread overcame him. People stared at him as he cried out, but it didn't matter to him. He tossed money on the table and ran.

He realized he was running home after he was almost half way there. He would never make it back to work on time from there. It didn't matter. This was more important by far. Something was wrong with Yue. Yuki ran home with no thought on his mind but to be home. He didn't even wonder what he could possibly do that Yue couldn't handle on his own, he just ran.

The front door was wide open. The house was unnaturally silent. He tore through the house, looking for his other half while terror overtook him. He couldn't sense Yue's presence at all. He was frantic by the time he opened the bedroom door and saw Yue laying there, nude, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Yue! What happened? Are you okay?"

He sat up slowly, carefully. There were scratches all over his body and other marks that showed that there had been some sort of a fight. The bedroom showed further signs of a struggle, but Yukito was only aware of those peripherally. The only thing that mattered was Yue.

"He ran--"

"Who was it?"

"He ran as soon as you were near enough. Without you I only have half of my magic, and I wasn't strong enough to fight him. But...he could tell when you started getting near and he ran."

"Who?!"

Finally Yue's eyes came into focus and he started seeming more like himself. "I don't remember. I knew a moment ago, but I don't now. This shouldn't be possible. This should not be possible at all."

"Some of those cuts are deep. Let me tend to them?" Yukito was carefully, tenderly exploring the extend of the damage.

"Thank you." Yue pressed a grateful kiss into the palm of Yukito's hand, opening up to his other self again. Yuki stood quickly, nearly running from the room as the fear and horror and confusion that Yue had tried to hide began to overwhelm him. He returned with the first aid kit and tended to Yue with tears in his eyes.

"What force on earth could do this to you?"

"I may be powerful, but I'm hardly omnipotent."

Yukito shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I mean, why would anyone do this to you? Why would anyone do this to anyone? First Sakura, now you...what kind of monster would do this?"

"This isn't like what happened to Sakura. Korvath is dead."

"That's not very comforting. It only means there's someone else out there just as sick and cruel, and he has magic too. That's not comforting at all. We should tell the others so they know there's a new threat to face."

"No."

"What?"

"I said no. I don't want to worry everyone else right now. We don't know that this will happen again, or to anyone else, and we need to deal with the problems at hand first before we worry about anything else."

"What if it is a serious threat, Yue?"

"Then we'll find out soon enough from someone else. I really don't want anyone else to know about...about this...." He gestured to himself and to the state of the bedroom. "I especially don't want Sakura to know about this, and it would get back to her eventually. How can I be her guardian if she knows I'm so weak?"

"Yue, she won't think less of you if--"

"No. Right now she needs to think I'm strong, unbeatable. I need to be strong for her while she's feeling vulnerable. Please, promise me you won't tell anyone."

Yuki nodded reluctantly. He didn't like this, but in a way Yue was right. Anyway, it wasn't his place to say anything to the others. Maybe when Touya got home and saw the cuts and bruises he could talk some sense into Yue.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yakusoku glared, angry at his botched attempt. How had Yue resisted? Everything had been fine until they reached the bedroom, but suddenly Yue had found himself and been able to resist.

Impossible.

He was losing control, losing power faster than he should. He was also wandering around unfulfilled, and the ghosts pressed in on him closer at such times.

He would have to resort to conquering a weaker target. Someone whose magic was weaker, constantly being drained by a different source. Someone who might be more open to suggestion.

And maybe he could try again with Yue once he had Touya in his thrall.


	12. Between Unseen and Hidden

A/N: Look at this, the ideas are finally flowing!

L-chan: Oh no! I can't let *anybody* start to figure this out! This is my only "Keep 'em guessing" fic! Oh, and I think you know what's going to happen to Touya. ~evil cackle~ I think you know....

Kira: I'm glad you enjoy what I write! Thanks for driving me forward when I otherwise would have given up. Who knows...maybe one of my fics ("A Day in the Life of..." probably) could reach 100 reviews! And it's thanks to you for sticking by me.

Ruby_servantof_eli: Thanks! I write as fast as I get ideas and post as fast as I write. Every review helps me write faster. J 

Dark Ice Angel: THANK YOU! I'm not worthy! You're so sweet to leave so many reviews for a fic of mine that hardly gets any! Now write more. I like your bad guys better. Hehe (Soku talks back too much and says "Eeewww" when I talk about writing het couples. I'll bet Nikki would NEVER dream of doing that!)

Yes, I'm evil. What's the fun in being the puppet master if I can't be evil to my characters?

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Between Unseen and Hidden

Touya was late coming home. Yue tried not to admit it, but he was worried instantly. He needed Touya right now. Five minutes, fifteen minutes, finally an hour and Yue was so frantic that he was about to go searching for his love...and he walked in the door. 

The relief was instantaneous, but short lived.

A blue haired kitten was perched on Touya's shoulder. Yue somehow knew they were lost...they were all three lost....

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sonomi had never seen a ghost. The only time she had wanted to was over ten years ago when her beloved cousin, Nadeshiko, had died. She had long since resigned herself to the idea that it wasn't meant to be.

She stopped cold as she walked into her bedroom, more surprised than she had ever been in her life.

"Sonomi-chan."

It was her sweet voice, the voice of angels and songbirds in the spring. _No one has called me that since Grandfather died,_ Sonomi thought as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Nadeshiko, is that really you?" There was a vulnerability in Sonomi's voice that hadn't been there in years. Only two people had ever heard that note in her voice--Nadeshiko and Tomoyo, the two people she had ever loved with her entire heart.

"I'm sorry, but appearing to you has taken more energy than I have on my own." It wasn't a complaint, just an explanation. "I wish I could have been here for you sooner...."

Sonomi fell to her knees staring at the spirit of her lost love, her cousin, her best friend. "Nadeshiko. We have right now, and I will treasure that for the rest of my life."

"I know you will." The sweet smile was exactly as Sonomi had pictured it all these years, untouched by time. "This is the only time I have though, and it's not much. I can not waste it."

"But, nothing is going on now. We saved Sakura-chan and she's home safe, recovering."

"I'm sorry, no. Her life is still in danger."

"What? How! I mean, what can I do, and why are you asking me?"

It pained Sonomi to see Nadeshiko look so sad, but that was nothing next to the pain of hearing what was going wrong. They had all been betrayed, Sakura was still suffering, and even Tomoyo hadn't been there to help Sakura in her darkest hour. How had this happened? More magic. Only a small handful of people hadn't been brought under the spell of the new threat, and Sonomi was the only one that could help.

Nadeshiko spelled out a plan that sounded insane, but Sonomi would do anything..._anything_...that her cousin asked.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Syaoran was starting to get worried. Eriol had stepped out of the study an hour ago and hadn't returned. They were doing the last minute details, going over things one last time to make sure there would be no mistakes. The thought of losing Sakura forever consumed him, terrified him more than anything else in the world. He woke up in the middle of the night since the kidnapping with the same thought pounding through his brain...Sakura was dying and she didn't even know. He couldn't face her, he couldn't look her in the eye without wanting to cry and spill the horrible secret. If she knew she would lose the battle for life that much sooner he was sure.

He paced, impatient and wanting to double-check the spell with Eriol one last time. It would require both of them as well as an act of will by Yukito and Yue. It was complex, difficult, and would drain each of them tremendously. They would be helpless for at least a day whether they succeeded or not.

He hoped they succeeded.

How would he live without his Sakura, his little angel, his blossom? He had been away so long with only the thought of seeing her again. He was so sure that the next time he saw her he would find a happily ever after with her. He had only found the beginning of the worst nightmare of his life.

The door finally swung wide open and Syaoran turned to demand an explanation. Standing in the doorway was not Eriol, but Sonomi. Syaoran jumped, shocked and very unsettled by this.

"You need to trust me. Grab the book the spell is in and come with me. Sakura's life depends on it."

"What?"

"Tomoyo is getting Sakura right now, but we must go now while _they_ are still distracted."

Syaoran did what he was told, but hesitated at the door. "Without Eriol the spell book is useless. The spell requires two sorcerers."

"We'll have to find another way then, because Eriol has fallen under the power of the enemy. Now hurry."

They were rushing for the door while Syaoran wondered what the hell Tomoyo's mom had to do with this and what enemy she could possibly be talking about when...a distinctive sound emanated from one of the rooms upstairs. Syaoran blushed, confused and dismayed. "What the--?"

"The distraction I mentioned. From the sound of things we don't have much time, now hurry!"

They ran from the house and into the car waiting. Syaoran was shaking with emotion, not sure what to make of what had just happened. There was an overwhelming feeling of magical power being used for twisted purposes. A very strong magic. It had felt both strange and familiar, seductive and sickening. And the sounds...the sounds...he was sure that one set of moans was coming from Eriol, and another set of moans was coming from another man. Moans that obviously were produced during...during...during....

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Sonomi spared him a glance as she drove, the threat implicit in the look in her eye. "You have a weak stomach then. I'd hate to see how you handle the rest of what's happened."

"How do you know so much?"

"The ghost of Sakura's mother told me. She's very worried."

"This new adversary...who is it? Wait," he began immediately after the question left his lips. "It's that kitten thing, isn't it?"

"Yakusoku? Yes, he is our new enemy."

Syaoran swore under his breath for a minute. "Who else is under his spell? Just Eriol?" He had a sinking feeling though that if it were just Eriol, Sonomi wouldn't be the one that had pulled him out of there.

"Fujitaka, Touya, Yukito, Yue, and now Eriol. To some extent Sakura is under his power too, though not in the same way. Nadeshiko said that she can't tell exactly how, or why it's different for Sakura, but the men seem to be under absolute control while Sakura is only connected to him and influenced by him. Also, it seems that Korvath, though he had once been Yakusoku's master, was taken over by Yakusoku recently. It was a set up to get us to trust him and let him in."

"So what do we do now?"

"We try the spell anyway."

They had two days. Only two days left until the spell could be done. He could possibly find another mage, maybe help the other learn half of the spell, but then? The spell could not work without the full and active cooperation of Yue and Yukito.

Syaoran thought again of his beloved Sakura. Her brilliant and trusting green eyes. Her soft, light brown hair. Her infectious smile. Her absolute trust that everything would be fine. He steeled his resolve, setting aside every problem and instead searched for solutions.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Tomoyo carefully walked into the house, feeling guilty about not waiting for someone to answer the door. She had waited five minutes though while ringing the doorbell and there was no answer. Sakura had to be home, she just had to be.

"Sakura-chan!"

The call died in the still air, sounding much softer than even her normal quiet voice. It was as if all sound had been sucked out of the house, all life, all motion stilled.

The hair stood up on the back of Tomoyo's neck, and a shiver raced through her body. She absently toyed with a lock of hair as she slowly climbed the stairs. She knew Sakura's house inside and out, having spent so much time with her best friend over the years. Really, it was an easier house to get to know than her own house. She smiled slightly, a little envious of the warm comfort Sakura's house had always seemed to exude.

Until today that is.

Today the house seemed so much colder and empty. There were secrets hidden here. There was deep sadness. The shadows were deeper and even places touched by sunlight seemed dim.

Finally she reached Sakura's door, shaking off the effects of her imagination. This was no time to give in to flights of fancy. She wouldn't have much time before Sakura's dad was due to return home from work, and she needed to get Sakura out of this house.

"Sakura-chan? Kero-chan?"

Tomoyo tapped on the door, then slowly opened it.

Sakura and Keroberus were in bed, sleeping deeply. A small ache settled in her chest as Tomoyo gazed at the beautiful innocence her best friend had in repose. She swallowed, blinking back tears, admonishing herself for her selfish thoughts. It would not be right or fair to try to act out the scene from the play they did in fifth grade where the prince kisses awake the sleeping princess. She sighed, then wished that this wasn't the one time she didn't have her camera with her. Such a vision of loveliness should be on tape where she could watch it over and over....

No. It would only add to the torture of letting go, and besides, this was Li-kun's face to cherish. Replacing her usual happy expression she reached over to wake her friend and the small sun guardian.

"Wake up, both of you. Mother wanted me to invite you two for dinner."

Sakura stirred, her eyes peeking open. Those eyes were hollow, haunted at first, but they immediately brightened when she saw who was there.

"Tomoyo-chan! I've missed you so much!"

"I'm sorry I've been so busy with choir lately. I wanted to make supper for you to make up for it. We even have two cakes, chocolate and strawberry."

That was enough to wake up Keroberus.

"Cake? What? Where?"

The girls laughed together, but Sakura's ended in a yawn. "I'm sorry, Tomoyo-chan. I've just been so tired lately. Maybe I should finish this nap and maybe come over later, or tomorrow...."

"Not a chance! The food is already cooked, and I have another rehearsal tomorrow, so I wouldn't be able to. Besides, we already said the 'c' word in front of Kero-chan."

"That's right you did! I want that cake! Sakura, you've been sleeping too much lately as it is, so getting out of the house will do you some good. Let's go!"

Tomoyo felt a nervous flutter as Sakura looked like she was searching for another excuse, but finally she couldn't find one. The relief Tomoyo felt was so strong that Keroberus noticed and gave her an inquisitive look, but Tomoyo simply smiled and shook her head. They had almost made it to the front door, Sakura already seeming more like her old self, when the distinctive sound of a car pulling up in the driveway turned Tomoyo's blood to ice.

Sakura's dad was home, and Tomoyo couldn't help but remember that he was under the power of the enemy.


	13. Beyond Love and Understanding

Author's Note: Really, just more praise for those who reviewed. ~hugs~ Yes, men are so weak. ~snickers~ Glad you agree, L-chan. Kira, if this is really that un-put-downable, then I've done what I set out to do. Thank you! No more Touya-envy in this story for a while I'm afraid. I'm sorry, please forgive me! This is now taking a decidedly S+S turn...totally unexpected from me, I know. It's Peacewish and Silvermoon Maru's fault, even if they didn't review last chapter. ~laughs~ Oh, BabyBattleFaerie, you forgot to add "evil" to puppet master. I am the evil puppet master, and don't you forget it. Welcome on board, Askani Blue. You can stop hating me now. Though, you might just burn with a new hatred for me by the end of this chapter. I'm like that. This may not be my most popular story (Not Human is up to 84 reviews for only 9 chapters, and this only has 42 reviews for 12 chapters), but I really am rather proud of this one. I've certainly put more planning and plotting into this one than any other. ~grin~ Thank you, thank you all!

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Beyond Love and Understanding

Sakura smiled at her best friend, trying to ignore the hollow feeling inside. "Well, I won't have to leave a note at least. I can just tell Dad where I'm going!"

Tomoyo looked nervous for some reason, but Sakura just ignored it. There wasn't anything to be nervous about. It was just her dad. With a burst of energy she really didn't feel she ran outside to her father's car to meet him. As soon as the engine was off she raced to meet him at his car door. He was smiling, but Sakura thought it looked like there was no life behind it. No real emotion. He had been like that for at least week, smiling and happy, but empty. Then again, so had Touya and Yukito and Yue. Their smiles were as fake as her own lately.

The emotions caught in her throat in a lump, but her smile didn't waver. _What is wrong with me? I see emptiness in the smiles around me and not just my own now! I've become so fake that everything around me feels fake._

Sakura realized she couldn't take any more of seeing the same places and faces every day anymore. She had to leave for a while, she had to go with Tomoyo and get out of the house, with or without permission. If she was grounded for it later, it was worth it. She was going insane at home.

He was reaching for the handle to open the door when Sakura blurted out the words, "Tomoyo-chan invited me to supper tonight. I'm going. Bye!"

She didn't wait for his reaction, just moved toward the open door of the limousine waiting for them. Tomoyo waited by the door with Kero perched on her shoulder. As Sakura started walking over she heard her dad's car door open fully and Tomoyo and Kero tensed, then both shouted at the same time, "Sakura! RUN!"

She almost couldn't. She felt like her will was being drained from her, holding her back. Yet, a thrill of fear somehow penetrated as she looked at the faces of her best friends and a feeling like a great evil was about to catch her prompted her to fight her apathy and run. Was it a ghost that had already attacked her dad when her back was turned? That thought pushed her to top speed, tears streaming from her eyes and a small scream escaping her throat past the lump that still sat there.

Tomoyo dove into the car, helping to pull Sakura to safety and then closing the door quickly. As they pulled away Sakura turned to see her father, reaching for her with a look of inhuman rage. He still looked empty, hollow, but his face was also twisted as if with someone else's emotions. It wasn't her father out there, just his body.

__

Do I look like that? Am I still Sakura when other people look at me? What's going on?

"Tomoyo-chan! What's going on?"

The two girls hugged each other, weeping on each other's shoulders while Tomoyo slowly told her best friend everything she could.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sonomi tapped nervously on the steering wheel as she saw the strange rental car in front of the gate. She frowned, wondering if it was possible that the enemy could have caught up with them so fast. A feeling came over her though that this was not a threat, but a boon. Syaoran gasped beside her, a look of surprise overcoming his face.

"It's my mother and sisters!"

Sonomi's frown deepened. "How would they know to come here?"

Syaoran just gave her a small, humorless smile. "My mother is the one who taught me magic. With her here we have a chance. A small one, but a chance."

Sonomi decided to just accept that for now, pulling up and punching the code to open the gate. The car containing Syaoran's family followed, then the limousine pulled in soon after with Tomoyo and Sakura. They all pulled up to the end of the drive in front of the door. As soon as Sonomi stopped Syaoran dove from the car and she assumed he was rushing to meet his family. Instead he ran to meet Sakura immediately, pulling her from the limousine and wrapping her in a hug that was so protective and possessive that Sonomi's heart felt a pang. It was something so tender and beautiful to see and Sonomi wished for a moment that she could feel that just for once in her life. Just for once....

So it was Sonomi who greeted Syaoran's family first. "Welcome to my home," she said with a bow to the stately woman who was staring at Sakura and Syaoran with an expression strangely like the one Sonomi had been wearing. "I am Daidouji Sonomi. I am pleased to meet you."

"I am Li Yelan, thank you for welcoming me." Her bow and her bearing were much more formal, speaking of tradition as well as high status. Sonomi smiled, happy to know that her cousin's daughter had found the love of someone who would be able to return the status she should have been born into. She knew it was a somewhat "shallow" thought to have according to so many, but Sonomi worried so much about those she loved...she just wanted Sakura to be taken care of the way Nadeshiko hadn't been. 

Her dark thoughts broke off as Tomoyo, Sakura, and Syaoran walked over finally. Sonomi immediately gathered Tomoyo and Sakura into her arms, blinking back relieved tears to see them both safe. "Did you have any problems getting here?"

Tomoyo gave Sakura a quick glance before nodding. "Sakura's father arrived home just as we were leaving."

Sonomi cursed under her breath. "The enemy is sure to know that we're all here then. We won't be able to stay here long, I have no defenses against people who can use magic."

Li Yelan stood forward, smiling slightly. "My daughters will take care of defense. If we do too much traveling, Syaoran will not be able to teach me the spell we need."

Sonomi paused for a break of total amazement. "How _do_ you know so much?"

She pierced Sonomi with an inscrutable gaze. "It was a lucky thing the spirit of Sakura's mother found me. She enlisted my aid first, then I allowed her to borrow from my energy to speak to you."

"Then I am in your debt," Sonomi admitted softly, bringing back the small smile to the sorceress's face.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Syaoran could not stop himself. He had to touch Sakura. He couldn't stop touching her, couldn't force himself to break that reassuring contact with her soft skin. She was here, she was as safe as he could make her. Not safe enough, but he was trying.

He caught his mother looking at him and his immediate reaction was to let go and stand up straight, but even that wasn't enough to pull him totally away from his Sakura.

With tear-filled eyes Sakura looked up at him, confusion the only real expression her face could support. He could feel the emptiness within her as if it was his own and he knew she had to suspect something was wrong with her by now. He wanted to just kiss away her fears and replace them with confidence, but he had a handful of empty hopes to hand her. No answers, nothing real, just wishes that there might be a way she could survive another two weeks.

"Syaoran, what's going on? I don't understand any of this. Why is your mother here? Why are we all at Tomoyo's house? Why did my dad chase us like that? Nothing makes sense anymore."

He held her close, inhaling her sweet scent and stroking her short, silky hair. "Korvath was not our true enemy, he was a puppet for someone else. Someone who wanted our trust before he took us down. I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I'm so sorry."

"No," she cried into his shoulder. "No, this can't be happening. Everything was supposed to be okay. Korvath is dead and we escaped and everything was supposed to be okay after that." She was sobbing, and Syaoran could feel the dampness against his skin. "Instead everything is just getting worse and worse, and it just doesn't end. That's not the way it's supposed to be."

She lost strength too soon. The tears continued to fall, but her body slumped weakly against him, and he could feel the emptiness welling within her. In two weeks, maximum, the emptiness would be total. Unless he could find a miracle. "How do you feel, Sakura?"

"Tired. I'm so tired all the time now Syaoran. I don't understand why, but I just want to sleep all the time."

He noticed that everyone else was starting to move inside except Tomoyo who was standing nearby, helplessly. She looked as worried as Syaoran felt. "Why don't we go inside with everyone else. That way you can sit down Sakura."

Tomoyo nodded encouragingly, giving Syaoran a small smile. "The three of us could go to my room while everyone else talks...."

Syaoran shook his head. "No. I need to start filling my mother in on the spell immediately."

Tomoyo started looking, well, as stubborn as she really got while staying so sweet. "I will give your mother the book so she can start, but--" She broke off with a significant look at Sakura. "She needs answers Syaoran, and you're the one that needs to give them to her."

Syaoran could feel his heart breaking as Sakura mustered the strength to look into his eyes again. He could see love, trust, and absolute faith in him, but he could also see confusion, questioning, and pain under the layers of weariness. With a heavy sigh Syaoran surrendered the book to Tomoyo and slowly walked with his love to Tomoyo's room.

They sat next to each other on the couch, silently holding each other for a few minutes first. "Syaoran, I haven't felt this tired since I started converting the Clow Cards to my own. It's not getting any better though, it's just getting worse and worse. What's going to happen to me? Why is this happening? If you know, you need to tell me."

He frowned, caressing her face, losing himself in her eyes, trying to ignore the shadows that had grown there since the last time he had held her. "It's the spell that divided Yue and Yukito. They are not meant to be separate beings."

"That's why I'm so weak?"

"Yes. That's why I've been trying so hard to master the spell with Eriol to reverse it and bring them back together."

"Why isn't Eriol here then?"

Syaoran was silent, trying to figure out exactly what to tell her. "He was taken by the enemy." The words were simple, true, but left so much out.

"So, if your mother can't help you cast it, what happens? Will I get stronger eventually? I'll just be too weak to use my magic for a very long time until I get better? Right? Right? Answer me Syaoran! What's going to happen to me?"

It was as close as she could get to panic, and the feebleness of it ripped his heart in two. "Be brave. The spell has to work Sakura. It just has to work."

Tears prickled the corners of his own eyes as dawning realization of what he wasn't saying reached her eyes. "No," she whispered. "No, you're wrong. It will all be all right. It will absolutely be all right."

No matter how many times she chanted it neither of them could stop crying.


	14. Desperation

Author's Note: I almost gave up on this story. Why? Because someone lied to me. Let that be a lesson in honesty to all of us. Heck, let's make it a lesson in life..._everything_ you do, no matter how insignificant it seems, casts ripples upon the pond of life and sways us all. So, you can thank that liar for the delay in this update.

Last chapter got more than twice as many reviews as most other chapters. Huzzah! Am I really picking up that much interest with this? ~grins~ This has been the hardest story for me to write, especially since before last chapter I felt that it wasn't appreciated for the energy I was putting into it. ~sigh~ I'm glad I've pushed my way through though. We're looking at only a few more chapters...we've reached the build up to the climax! Finally! The grand show down! Can you believe it? Thank you all for sticking with this story, through thick and thin, and I hope I don't disappoint with the next few chapters. Tinji, Starquestor, Babybattlefaerie, Kira, Peacewish, Askani Blue, L-chan, Kurotenshi, and Silvermoon Maru--thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Each and every review means a lot to me.

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Desperation

__

What do they think they're doing, Yaku wondered as he paced back and forth. They had taken Sakura while he had taken Eriol, striking perfectly while he was at his most distracted. Fujitaka said that it was Tomoyo that had taken her.

But, why?

They had to know by now that without Yue and Yukito it would be impossible to save her, no matter where they were. Were they grasping straws out of desperation, or did they have a serious plan?

He continued to pace, the gorgeous spoils of war surrounding him meaning nothing as he worried what his opposition could possibly be up to.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sakura slept more and more, and Tomoyo watched over her the entire time. Their time was drying up too fast and at night when Syaoran had finally joined them in Tomoyo's room he was too exhausted to do more than kiss Sakura on the cheek and fall asleep himself. With a small sigh Tomoyo stood up, too worried to sleep. She stepped out onto the balcony, staring up at the nearly full moon. One more day. Syaoran and his mother would study and practice all day long, trying to get the spell perfect, and that would be it. It would either work or it wouldn't.

Tomoyo had felt helplessness more often than she wanted to admit, but this was somehow worse. So many times she had been in the line of fire when the cards were being captured or converted to Sakura cards. Yet, even when the ground had almost opened beneath her when the Earthy card had become active, or when she had been targeted by the rampaging piano she had never felt like this. It went beyond helplessness to hopelessness. As long as Sakura had been there, fighting against hostile magic, Tomoyo had felt safe. Nothing could touch Sakura, nothing could stop her, she always won in the end. Sakura was perfect.

But, right now Sakura was dying and no one could stop it. Sakura was getting weaker and weaker before their eyes and she couldn't fight it. Knowing hadn't made her give up, but it didn't give her any extra strength to fight it either.

And there was nothing Tomoyo could do.

She had been useless through the entire ordeal, standing around while everyone else helped in some way or another. Even her own mother had pulled upon magical ability that no one had suspected of her. Tomoyo just didn't have anything like that. Her skills were all mundane, and in the end no amount of sewing or singing ever really made a difference.

But they made her feel better, and they made Sakura feel better. Tomoyo knew very well that her best friend felt uncomfortable being fussed over with new costumes, but they really did help her. New ideas danced through Tomoyo's mind for a perfect costume for tomorrow night, but all of them would take so long! There were a couple of costumes that were nearly finished though that could be made even more fancy in that much time though. With a happy sigh she turned to go back inside and work on one, but something held her back. Another idea.

A song.

Sakura was never embarrassed when Tomoyo sang. Over and over again she had praised Tomoyo's voice and said how sometimes that was exactly what she needed to turn the tide in some battles they had faced. Singing also filled Tomoyo's soul with hope and happiness, something they could all use.

As she gazed out into the night the words just came to her, so she opened her mouth and sang what her soul prompted.

__

When I wish on a star   
Could it ever come true,   
If I wish not for me   
But a wish that's for you?

If I open my eyes   
In the dark, lonely night   
Can my hope be fulfilled   
By that pinprick of light?

Hope steals my heart   
Whispers words in my ear   
If I wish hard enough   
There is nothing to fear.

So I wish by the stars   
That there may be a way   
That our hope won't be lost   
And you'll be here to stay.

She finished and turned around with a smile. It had turned out more beautiful than she hoped.

There was a glow from Sakura's purse, then two cards flew out under their own power. Hope and Song. Everyone else had slept, but somehow the cards had picked up on Tomoyo's feelings despite her lack of magic. Her heart surged as the cards came close, then Song turned into her girl form just long enough to give Tomoyo a reassuring hug before flying back and taking card form again. Hope hovered a moment longer before joining the other cards.

It was the reassurance Tomoyo needed at that moment. Still humming the tune that had come to her on the balcony, she gathered the material for her latest costume idea and closed herself in her personal theater room to sew the rest of the night while everyone slept. It would all be all right.

~~~~~@~~~~~

The moment the spell began Syaoran knew it would fail. He had survived on hope all day, finding joy in the fact that his mother learned the spell perfectly and could do it by moonrise. Even Sakura had smiled when she was brought down and told that the spell was ready. She modeled a costume Tomoyo had spent all night sewing, almost dancing as she heard that they would be able to do it. Hope filled the entire house, right up until the moment Syaoran began the chant of the spell.

He went through the motions, mirrored precisely by his mother, with exacting care and attention to detail. He carefully said the words needed, not stumbling at any point and not slurring a single syllable. He was perfect, his mother was perfect, and yet the spell went on and they could see in each others eyes that the spell would do nothing. The only effect would be to drain them of their energy to the point of helplessness. They couldn't even stop.

Soon, Syaoran felt like a puppet on strings as he went inexorably on toward the conclusion. He couldn't stop if he tried. He couldn't mess it up on purpose even to get it to stop. He knew it would lead to failure, he knew it was doomed from the start, but the spell carried the two of them on it the dance it wove. The magical energy burned through him, pulling him, demanding release. He held onto it as long as he could. Then, at the exact spot needed, his energy escaped him along with his mother's energy, joining into one magical entity that sought to bring together the two who wanted to be one.

There was no one. The magical entity created even found the target of the spell coming closer and closer, but they did not have the intent necessary. With a mournful cry it dissipated, becoming nothing upon the wind, and the strings that held up Yelan and Syaoran were cut. The spell ended abruptly. They fell to the floor amid screams from observers.

And to Syaoran's eye, all went black at that moment.

~~~~~@~~~~~

The failure of the spell brought chaos to everyone inside the mansion. The carefully maintained wards that Syaoran's sisters had placed sputtered and died as the young women rushed to tend to their fallen family members. Sakura also ran to Syaoran's side with a scream of dismay. Only Sonomi and Tomoyo held back, afraid of getting in the way, but every bit as concerned as the others. Those two found themselves in each others arms, still looking at the scene before them but seeking comfort and reassurance from each other.

The front door was heard slamming open and a moment later all with magic felt a wave of energy wash past them. The electricity went out and the candles that had been burning for the spell were extinguished in an instant. Then a faint glow began to emanate from the ceiling and it was revealed that they were surrounded.

Touya stood at the north wall, glaring with more intensity at everyone than he had before been able to muster for his glaring contests with Syaoran. His dark hair was more mussed than usual, giving him a feral look that warned everyone away. Soon an evil grin began to spread on his face as he took in the scene before him.

To the east, in front of the large picture window, hovered Yue and Yukito. A true coldness now possessed both faces, giving them the appearance of marble statues. Each of them were toying with glowing energy forming above the palms of their hands, but no emotion at all could be discerned. It was a calculated threat, unhampered by passion, almost like the final judgment that Sakura and Syaoran had faced so long ago, but without the weariness Yue had possessed then. Yue and Yukito knew that their adversaries here were worthy and showed no disregard for their abilities. They simply showed that they were ready for whatever was to come.

The west wall was guarded by two figures as well--Fujitaka and Eriol. Neither had looked more ominous than at that moment. They wore slight smiles, looking calm and composed, almost playful. Yet, their glasses gleamed in the wan light and their eyes narrowed dangerously. Whatever evil plans the two of them had been instructed to follow through with, they were obviously planning on enjoying.

Finally, stepping into the doorway of the east wall, stood Yakusoku. He was in his fully adult form, looking commanding and assured with a mocking sneer.

"What the hell are you doing in my home," Sonomi demanded with all the strength she could put into her voice.

"I've come here to gloat," he answered. "I won. You lost. Poor Sakura-chan is going to die and give all her energy to me, and there's not a damn thing any of you can do now to stop it."


	15. Zetti Diajobu

Author's Note: Can you tell I want to get this story finally done and over with? One more chapter after this, then maybe a prologue. That's it. And I'm quite aware that I got this chapter posted within 24 hours of the first. I worked very hard to be able to do that.

So, only three reviews made it to my inbox before I got this up. Darn. ~giggles~ Really? I wasn't expecting that many. Wow. Imagine if I had decided to hang onto this a while! Aren't you glad I didn't? So, for the lucky few, thank you. Kira, Tela, and Silvermoon Maru, you guys are either lucky or obsessed. ~grins~ I got two reviews of wows and telling me how original this story is! ~happy dance~ Come back soon! We've still got unresolved thingys here, though this chapter *is* the climax. Yay! 

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Zetti Daijobu

The tears were like crystal beads falling from empty eyes. All these people Sakura had loved were standing surrounding her as enemies. All hope, every dream of success and survival, all vanished with the flickering of the lights and what the new glow revealed. Sakura trembled under the weight of the implications.

She had two weeks to live, and she couldn't think of a way to stop it.

So, why had she been so sure there was a way through this last night? She had even dreamed of everything falling apart like this, but there was a way...there was a way to get through it.

There _was_ a way, she realized. It was right there where she could almost feel it forming. So close, so close, but the stares of everyone upon her kept driving the thought away from her.

And then softly, barely audible, a voice began to sing. Tomoyo was looking directly in Sakura's eyes, beginning a song she had never heard before but sounded so familiar. It was echoed, harmonized with as the Song card invoked itself, and the song gained more strength. Someone else started humming along with the melody, supporting it and the two singers.

Sakura understood what she could do.

It would take strength and determination, but it was her only hope. She smiled, turning to look at the kittenish man standing in the doorway. She had extended her trust to him and he had abused that trust. She had to take her power back. "You have not won."

His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, but Sakura met his glare with a determined gaze of her own. "What did you say?"

"I said you have not won. You will not win. I won't let you win. I am the Mistress of the Cards. I am the most powerful sorceress in the world, and I will not let you win!"

He stepped closer, the others moving to circle the group and let them know that Yaku breaking the perimeter did not weaken their guard. "You're just a little girl. You're weak. I've been feeding off of your loved ones, gaining their magic and adding it to my own while your energy is ripped in two over the last two weeks. I've been more clever than you can imagine, and now I'm more powerful than you."

"No, you only want me to think you are. I can feel it. You cast a spell on me when you took the magic pain from my hand. I can see it glowing now, leading right to you. Then, last night while I dreamed, I knew I was getting closer to death. You know what that did to me? It let me see ghosts. I've always felt them, and just feeling them around me terrified me because the ghosts were an unknown, but seeing them took my fear away. But, it won't take your fear away. The ghosts are looking for you. They want you. They want to make you pay for what you've done before you can do it again. They're getting closer...in fact I can see them now. They're angry at you, and angry ghosts can scare you to death."

His eyes widened as she talked and his gaze darted around the room with obvious paranoia. Sakura smiled knowingly while he backed up, fear beginning to crack his confident facade. "I am more powerful than those ghosts! They can't touch me! They can't get near me! You're bluffing, little girl."

"No, I'm not. I will not let you rob me of my power any longer, and that includes my guardian. Yue is mine." Yaku's spell weakened, causing ripples through the entire "net" of the spell.

Eriol blinked, regaining himself and slipping out of the spell the instant it was weakened. "In my last life I gave my guardians free will. I will not permit you to interfere with that." The spell was further weakened.

Yue's aim subtly shifted from covering the group of people in the center of the room, to cover Yakusoku. "Yukito is the other half of my self, my soul. As long as I am free, he will be as well."

With that, Yukito found the strength to shrug off the spell as well. "With all my heart and all the strength I have, I will not watch you enslave my love."

Touya was freed, the spell slipping aside like cobwebs under the united power of so much magic. He then added his own power of will to breaking the spell once and for all. "And I'll die before I let you enslave my dad any further, you son of a bitch."

They were all freed and their adversary was surrounded.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Eriol felt dirty. Used. His memories of the last two days were crystal clear and made his skin crawl.

Underlying that revulsion though was anger. He had never been so angry in his life. And the object of his anger was tantalizingly close, standing right in front of him. Every ounce of self control bestowed upon him by living Clow's extensive memories for so long was needed to hold him back. He had never been one to lash out blindly.

His limits were tested though as he stood, watching the creature that had held his will captive, and held the others who would be able to help Sakura. Sakura was essentially Clow's heir, and she held a special place in Eriol's heart for that. Turning him against her was unforgivable.

Yaku spun, taking in the suddenly changed odds with sheer panic in his eyes. "I haven't done anything wrong!" His proclamation of innocence fell on stunned ears.

"Oh, I _need_ to hear how your delusional mind can try to explain that," Touya countered, closing in dangerously. He wasn't the only one.

He moved erratically, like a rat cornered by an excitable kitten. Eriol rather liked the irony of that particular image. "I haven't actually _hurt_ anyone. In fact, as I remember, I made a few people very happy. Extremely happy from what I could tell."

"That wasn't happiness," Eriol said through gritted teeth, feeling ill.

"Pleasure, happiness, I've learned to take what I can get over the years." His movement was still erratic, though he seemed to be intent on one direction--toward freedom. Eriol shifted slightly toward the door, unwilling to give him a chance to escape.

"How do you justify what you've done to Sakura," Yue asked with steel backing the softness of his voice.

"I haven't done a thing to her. I just prevented her from saving herself. Everyone dies eventually. I was just going to gain something in the process." He grinned as if he was congratulating himself for being as noble as he claimed to be, and while everyone was distracted with their feelings of revulsion he pounced. He didn't bound for the door the way everyone suspected he would, but he jumped toward the middle of the group where Tomoyo was standing. He had his hand at her throat with cat's claws extended, pressing uncomfortably into the skin. He looked cheerful as he looked around at everyone gathered. "Okay, I lied. I was pulling some evil shit, and I know it. Hell, I'm proud of it. Now though, it doesn't matter. If any of you move, this innocent will die. Slowly. Painfully. And by my hand."

~~~~~@~~~~~

On wings of midnight she gently glided closer, stopping short at the door. Two larger feline guardians flanked her, listening intently to the commotion within. The trio masked their magical signature, even from their masters, hoping to have a complete element of surprise in their attack.

When she heard that someone had been taken hostage though, she knew that they had gotten there just in time. A small smile settled on her face and her eyes gleamed in a way that Yukito would recognize all too well. She was a predator lurking in the shadows and this time no one would stop her.

A commotion erupted in the other room. "Tomoyo!" Her mother's voice, full of emotion.

"Let her go," came from the voice of Ruby Moon's master. "You won't get away with this."

"I'm getting away with it right now. I can kill her faster than any of you can cast a spell to stop me, and every threat in the world is huddled in fear before me. Clear a path! Now! Before someone dies."

That was the silent trio's cue.

Shuffling movement could be heard, then a figure backed out of the doorway.

Shadows still concealed them, but they moved silently into position.

Yakusoku grinned maniacally, showing triumph and relief by his posture and the cocky sneer on his face. He wasn't cute anymore, Ruby Moon noted as an afterthought, right before she sprang. With one motion she flew at Tomoyo, snatching the girl from his hands before he even noticed he wasn't alone in the hall. His hand had relaxed slightly because of the assumption that he was safe at last.

It was the last mistake he ever made.

As soon as Tomoyo was clear he was the target of three magical attacks. Ruby crystals of energy pierced his heart and other vital organs, a beam of energy shot through his head, boiling his brains immediately, and fire engulfed the rest of him, killing him three times over. The three guardians would fight for the rest of eternity on who could claim that kill.

As Tomoyo began sobbing her reaction, Ruby Moon deposited the girl in Eriol's arms for comfort, the nearest person to them. Then she spun around and looked in distaste at the smoldering corpse in the hall. "I'll get rid of the body, if that is okay?"

No one argued.

Ruby Moon used her magic to pull the body outside where nothing would be further damaged, then pumped the corpse full of her signature ruby crystals. The intensity she poured into them caused them to explode and disintegrated the body immediately. She narrowed her eyes and said only, "No one hurts my master."

It wasn't enough to erase the pain from her heart, but it was a step in the direction of feeling better for her failure. Two days of being unaware of what was happening until Kero came tonight and explained all. She would never forgive herself for not killing the parasite in his sleep while he had curled up at her master's side.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Tomoyo was sobbing into Eriol's shoulder, unashamed of her reaction to being so close to death. There would be a bruise on her neck tomorrow and the skin had been scratched pretty deeply, but that didn't matter now. What mattered was that she had survived. The ordeal was over.

That brought a smile to her face and a halt to her tears. They could all start healing now. She smiled up at Eriol and her heart skipped a beat as she saw him smiling back at her. They hastily pulled apart, aware of the inappropriateness of their proximity now that she was no longer crying, since they didn't know each other that well really. It was a situation Tomoyo suddenly realized she hoped she could remedy.

Around them the rest of the room shuffled in reaction. Relieved sighs were expelled and some giddy laughter. From the floor Syaoran and Yelan were reviving, weak but unharmed. Syaoran's sisters all started to fill the pair in, filling the room with overlapping chatter that the pair seemed somehow to decipher.

In the whole room there were only two people not smiling. Tomoyo saw the glance that Yukito and Yue exchanged, but in all the chaos she couldn't understand why they were so serious. Then Yukito walked over to Syaoran with tears in his eyes and kneeled before him.

"I'm sorry. We felt your spell, but there was nothing we could do. Our will was bound, and we failed you."

That's when the hush descended upon the room again.

The night was not over.

Sakura was still in danger.


	16. Sakura's Spell

Author's Note: ~bangs head into keyboard~ Remember last author's note? The one where I was tired and writing at hours past my bed time and said there would be "One more chapter after this, then maybe a prologue."? Can I tell you now that I meant epilogue, but I was too tired to say what I meant? Ugh, I hate it when I make stupid mistakes like that. I know better! ~bangs head into keyboard some more~

Oh well, in the long run it doesn't matter. What matters is that I got reviews! ~giggles~ Thank you Babybattlefaerie and L-chan! We're almost done and I'll be sad to see this go. I'll also be more relieved than I can express in words. I had no CLUE when I wrote those first words about Yue drifting to meet Sakura in the middle of the night so that she could give her warning that things would end like this. No clue at all. It just unfolded this way. Don't let that fool you though. I've put more thought and planning into this story than almost anything else I've written. The only thing that comes close is Moon's Dance and Shadow. Gee, it's my second darkest fic next to this one. Hmmm...coincidence? I think not.

Thank you for sticking with this story and reading it to the end. For all intents and purposes this is the end of the story, though a few loose ends will be tied in the epilogue to come. That is all. Thank you.

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Sakura's Spell

Sakura looked stubborn. Yue and Yukito looked despondent. Syaoran and Yelan looked weary and resigned. Touya looked determined. Sonomi and Tomoyo looked worried. Fujitaka and Eriol exchanged a glance after taking all this in and nodded. Surprisingly, neither one looked particularly concerned.

Sakura was the first one to notice how calm the two looked. Hope brightened her face as they walked over to her. "You two can cast the spell?"

Another look was exchanged between them, then her father shook his head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Even if I had spent my life learning magic like Eriol had, he and I could not cast this spell together."

"But, nobody else knows the spell."

"Right now, Eriol is the only one who knows it and can cast it...and he can't cast it alone. The spell will not be cast tonight."

"Then, what happens next? We can't give up hope. Not right now."

Eriol stepped closer then, as if that was his cue. "That is the key. When you created your first card, Sakura-chan, how did you do it?"

"I-I'm not entirely sure. I knew I would miss Syaoran a lot, and it was just before he left to go back home, and I was scared I'd never see him again. I was crying, and that's how the card formed, from my tears."

"No, the card was formed from your genuine emotion. Every other card, each one that I created as Clow Reed, had to be drawn by hand and then infused with magical energy and a spirit with a long process of complex spells. That was the only way...until you became Mistress of the Cards. You have your own magic. You don't have to rely on the same complex and exacting spells. Your heart holds the magic you need."

"I can't do it on my own. If I could, none of this would have happened like this. Besides, I just know that I can't do this by myself. I need help."

"You've always had help when you need it."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, forming a rough circle around Sakura. Even Syaoran's sisters and mother were moved to add their unspoken support. Touched beyond words, tears sprang to Sakura's eyes as she looked upon her moon guardian and his other form. They gave her identical smiles, showing her nothing but trust and confidence in her ability.

"You really think I can do it?" Sakura looked into Yue's eyes, needing to hear for the first time that he believed in her. That he had faith in her. She had always felt unworthy of him, since that first time when she needed help from Clow's bell to convince him in the final judgment.

The trust and confidence in her did not waver as she looked at him.

"Yes, Sakura. You can do this." His response was not formal, was not stiff, and was not distant. The hug he wrapped her in suddenly was not the gesture of a servant for a master, but of a friend. "Thank you."

She returned his hug enthusiastically, remembering fondly the first time she had surprised him with a hug all those years ago. For a moment she indulged in regret for letting him grow distant after that, but something told her that it wouldn't be a problem ever again. Whatever bitterness had held him away from everyone no longer kept him prisoner from everyone around him. "I should be the one thanking you, Yue."

The moment held, lasting as long as they could make it. Then Sakura turned to Yukito.

No words were necessary. Sakura found herself in the middle of another hug, but this one was a bit sadder than the first. Each knew without words that they were saying goodbye...but they both knew that it wasn't quite a goodbye. He would live on in Yue, though he would never be himself as he was now again. Tears fell, but smiles were exchanged when they pulled away.

"Are you ready?"

Yukito nodded solemnly. "As ready as I could ever be."

Without words everyone in the room knew to circle around the Card Mistress and her guardian's two forms. The circle became complete around the three of them when everyone joined hands, and then Sakura, Yue, and Yukito joined hands. Sakura's eyes slipped closed and she concentrated with everything she had, shaping reality to her will.

~~~~~@~~~~~

A brilliant white light bathed the three figures in the center of the circle, blinding the onlookers. Touya tried to blink away the effect, but it was impenetrable. All he felt, all he knew, was that his sister needed him. Within the confines of his skull he could almost picture himself pacing with worry and anticipation. Yes, everything between himself and his loves...or...love, had been resolved before they had fallen under the influence of Yaku. Still, they had missed out on so much time while their wills had been captive and he didn't have the chance to...to...to do and say so many of the things he had wanted.

And now the time was here and he had been robbed of all his chances.

Growling away his distraction he dismissed all negative thoughts. He returned to trying to concentrate on the figures bathed in light....

~~~~~@~~~~~

Sonomi wondered idly what her daughter must feel as she felt a drain on her magical energy. Tomoyo really was the only one without magic here. The fact that Sonomi might as well not have it was irrelevant. It was like the difference between being born blind and being "legally blind". A person who might as well be blind still had access to a sense that someone born blind had no concept of, no matter how useless that sense was in a practical sense.

Her daughter's heart though...her daughter's heart was just as strong and pure as anyone else here. She had strength of will to match anyone else here. She had absolute faith in her best friend.

Sonomi could do no less for her best friend's daughter.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Fujitaka beamed proudly in the direction of his daughter as the magical energy gathered. It was more than he could comprehend really, even with the shadowy memories he had now of his past life. The memories may have grown stronger recently with Eriol's proximity, but they still didn't feel like himself. He lived a normal life, and was happy for it.

Still, as much as he was attached to his normal life and way of living it, the touch of magic in his life gave him something indescribable. He didn't want it for himself, but the swelling pride within him as his daughter found her own magical strengths was more important to him than anything. He knew that Clow Reed would not have been more proud of his protégée at this moment than Fujitaka was of his daughter.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Syaoran was awash in awed adoration. He was tired, weak, and drained almost to the point of passing out again, but he smiled and gave Sakura all the support he could manage. She was incredible. He was lucky to have her.

And with all his heart he hoped he'd have her for a long time to come.

~~~~~@~~~~~

It was done. Sakura had poured her all into it, every wish and hope she had made before turning inconsequential next to this one effort. Even converting the Light and Dark cards paled next to what she put into this one spell. She tried to open her eyes, to double check the result and make sure that one person stood before her instead of two, but it proved suddenly to be too much effort.

She collapsed, falling into comforting arms as the world buzzed around her. Were the voices loud with shock and dismay or with relief and happiness? It was too much effort to even try to understand their words. As much as she had put on a brave front at the final showdown and the events that followed, she really wasn't as strong as she should be. The gnawing emptiness that had haunted her since the kidnapping had drained her more than anyone would guess.

Finally, strong arms carried her somewhere. The noises were further away and the light was different, so it must have been a different room. She willed herself to smile and felt a bit of tension go out of whoever was carrying her. She was placed on what felt like a couch where she decided to do nothing more strenuous than concentrate on breathing.

When she could open her eyes she saw the warm eyes of her true love gazing anxiously into her own. "Sakura, you're all right!"

He looked wiped out. Almost as exhausted as she felt. "I'll be fine. See, I'm awake and everything!"

Speaking made her feel a little dizzy though. The words echoed around in her skull, rattling things that shouldn't rattle and making her aware of a headache she could do without.

"Okay, love. You'll be fine, yes, but now you should get some sleep. You need your rest."

She felt him stroke her hair out of her face with gentle care and concern. "Syaoran."

Her breath came out in short gasps now as she fought to stay on this side of the encroaching darkness.

"Yes Sakura?"

"I love you."

The darkness claimed her as she heard him respond in kind.


	17. Epilogue

Author's Note: Merry Christmas! Sorry for leaving the ending so ambiguous, but I was kinda hoping it would generate more replies. It will all be resolved and explained now. Please, don't lynch me!

L-chan, if I can keep a clever author like you guessing, I feel fulfilled. I'm not doing this to pick on you, I swear, but your confusion is music to my eyes. Er. Yeah. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Kira, thank you for being my most loyal fan and reviewing everything but my original fics. Kurotenshi, please tell me if the end is just as good as the rest of it. The liar...well, I would say I won't name any names, but it would be obvious after reading this fic if you know him. I won't point fingers though. ~looks innocent~ Askani Blue...thank you for your patience and for listening to my mad rambles in IM. You may now open your Christmas present.

Merry Christmas to all, Happy New Year, and thank you all very much.

****

Silent Eyes

**__**

Epilogue

Midnight:

How many important conversations had they had on this roof over the years? Touya didn't try to count them. It had always been a comfortable spot to relax and enjoy the night sky in peace, and there was an unwritten rule that one or the other could come up there to sort their thoughts and whoever got up there first had freedom to break the silence only when they were ready. Touya wasn't sure he was quite ready when Yue suddenly appeared beside him. He just let the silence hang in the air for a while, staring at the distant full moon while trying to figure out what to do about the moon beside him.

He finally reached over and grabbed a fallen twig resting on the roof and threw it, releasing some of the tension that had sat squarely between his shoulders for the last few hours.

"The operation was a success, but the patient died."

"Excuse me?"

Touya shook his head. "Never mind, just a saying I heard a while ago."

Yue looked thoughtful at that, sitting carefully beside Touya. When Yue didn't say anything, didn't give any hint of his thoughts away by motion or expression, Touya turned back to gazing at the moon.

~~~~~@~~~~~

__

Earlier:

He approached cloaked in silence. He glided on the gentle midnight breeze along the path of a glowing moonbeam. The barest whisper of sound was all that escaped as he withdrew his wings and allowed the magic to take them away again. His feet didn't even touch the ground as he floated up to the young woman standing under a huge cherry tree. Her eyes glinted in the light of the full moon as she scanned the world around her for signs of the moon guardian that had just slipped behind her.

Sakura bit her lower lip and began to turn slowly. No sooner had she began to turn than she let out a yelp of surprise. "Yue, why do you always sneak up on me like that?"

"Déjà vu," he replied with a small smile. "Of course, this time I did it on purpose." The smile grew for a moment before concern shoved it aside. "You should be in bed, asleep."

She shook her head, weary but wide awake. "I woke up. I needed to know, I needed to check for myself."

~~~~~@~~~~~

__

On the roof:

"Did the patient die?" Touya's voice wavered, no longer under his control as his emotions battled within him.

"To-ya," Yue began, pain showing clearly in his eyes.

"No, that wasn't a fair question. Forget I asked it. Sorry."

"To-ya, I don't know if I could handle it if you look at me like I'm some sort of ghost."

"I know." He stared out into the night, watching as real ghosts wandered the landscape illuminated by a cool glow from the bright orb overhead. He didn't know what to think of his regained ability. It had been returned when Sakura cast her spell. "Will you be okay now? I mean, will everything--"

"I know what you mean. I'll be fine. I promise. I just want to make sure you will be."

~~~~~@~~~~~

__

Under the tree:

"It's going to take some adjusting. I feel so strange, and I don't know how to describe it."

Sakura nodded wisely. "Like an over-full feeling, but it somehow feels exactly right?"

Yue looked startled, then nodded. "Exactly. How did you know?"

"I feel the same way. That's what woke me up even though I'm still tired."

~~~~~@~~~~~

__

On the roof:

Touya just shrugged. "It's a lot to live with. So much happened, and now it's all over. I feel like life should get back to normal now, but how can it?"

The sigh Yue released spoke volumes, hinting at the experience he had. "That's part of life. Things go along in a routine, then something changes. We scramble to adjust and build a new routine, then something changes again. Over and over. That _is_ normal."

Touya nodded, still frowning. A few more minutes passed, then the question burst forth finally. He had tried to keep it in since the spell, and it finally couldn't be contained. "What's it like?"

Touya wasn't quite expecting the smile that transformed Yue's face.

~~~~~@~~~~~

"Go back to bed, Sakura-chan. We can talk about everything in the morning."

"When I passed out I didn't know if I had succeeded. I had to see for myself. I could feel my strength had started returning when I woke up, and part of me knew, but I still needed to see you."

Yue moved closer, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It worked. You will live, and I am whole."

She suddenly had him in a bear hug, squeezing as tight as she could. "I was so worried about you, before I knew what was happening to me. And then, I stopped caring. About everything. I couldn't bring myself to care, and I didn't know why, and I thought I was such a horrible person. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. If I had been stronger, if I had been able to see more than just a vague warning, if I had somehow known--"

"Sakura, it's not your fault. None of this is."

The tears wouldn't stop. "I've ruined everything. I'm the Card Mistress, I should have been able to do more, but I didn't. I failed everybody, especially you."

"No." He pulled her face up to look at him, gently wiping the tears from her eyes. "No one could have imagined something like this, no one could have expected it, especially someone as pure and sweet as you. Sometimes bad things happen, and you can beat yourself up over how obvious it was in retrospect, how easily you could have stopped it _if only..._but you'll only drive yourself insane if you can't let it go."

She sighed, thinking about it. "Maybe you're right."

"Clow told me that long ago. Even he couldn't fix everything all the time, and sometimes he made things worse when he tried to make them better. He finally had to accept that he couldn't fix everything. No one expects you to be perfect either."

"Thank you, Yue."

"One more thing. You did not fail me. You did not fail Yukito. He's not dead any more than I am. He's still here, as a part of me."

She wrapped him up in another hug. "I'm so glad."

Then Sakura went to bed, leaving Yue to go home. He wondered what he would find there. He wondered what Touya would think. He flew away into the night, unsurprised to find his love on the roof outside their home, lost in thought. He silently stood by Touya's side, waiting.

~~~~~@~~~~~

__

On the roof:

"It's not as strange as you might think. I still have a false form, though it's not autonomous. I feel complete. I'm still me, and that means both of me. I was so scared of this, but I'm happy. I haven't lost anything, I've just gained a world full of memories and a different perspective to see the world through."

Touya found himself smiling as well. "I didn't want to tell you how scared I was. You had enough to worry about. I wanted to be confident, but when things started happening tonight and I realized I hadn't been given the time to think it all out and spend every moment I could with both of you I was terrified that I had missed out on something special. I was terrified that my Yuki had been stolen from me forever."

"I'm still here, To-ya."

"I know."

"And I love you just as much as ever. Maybe more now. Not less. Never less. I love you with all my heart now, with no doubts, no disguises, and no divisions. Just me, just you, just us...."

That's when Touya knew it had to be true. Yue would never have talked like that before, would never have rambled and gotten so sappy. That was all Yuki, despite appearances.

And the best way...the only way...to get him to stop was to kiss him.

So he did.

~~~~~end~~~~~

__

...and that's all there is, and there isn't any more...


End file.
